On the Loose in London! (Dog Meets Dog #1)

Sibling canines on a globe-trotting vacation must figure out how to navigate each other’s opposite personalities in this goofy graphic novel series launch for beginning readers. While older sister Betsy is a careful planner, younger brother Bones is a freewheeling excitement-hound who embraces spontaneity. The duo’s disparate travel styles cause tension upon arriving in London, as Bones ignores Betsy’s itinerary, instead investigating whatever catches his eye and forcing Betsy to hurry. When Bones dons the crown jewels while visiting the Tower of London, the siblings hide from security in a mysterious corridor, in which they encounter the ghost of King Henry the Sixth, who helps them leave the building unseen—only for them to stumble into a cricket match for which Bones scores the winning run while Betsy nurses a bump to the noggin. Though Bones’s antics make for an entertaining adventure, the narrative’s penchant for rewarding his insensitivity undercuts the effects of his behavior on Betsy, who’s often left alone to weather the consequences of her brother’s actions. Grayscale cartooning by Long (The Letter Setters in Fun!) is superimposed over orange-tinted photographs of IRL London locations, which Yaccarino (Piccolo) brings to life via clear and concise prose. Ages 5–9. (May)