The Tailor Shop at the Intersection

A family of dogs run an independent tailor shop in this affectionate Korean import from Ahn. Simple text and artwork in muted browns and grays set the title “in the days of long, fluttering dopo robes.” When a dummy in a tailor’s entryway is draped in a Western-style suit, passersby are mystified: “What on earth is a suit? They say it’s what Westerners wear.” But confident Deokgu, the shop’s owner, “loved the sharp, clean lines of a suit,” and soon has his first customer. When word circulates about the tailor’s skill, “soon every dapper dog had to have their own suit.” After war leaves the shop in ruins, Deokgu rebuilds, and his son Samdol takes over the business. “You have to pour your whole heart into tailoring,” Deokgu tells Samdol; “even the slightest slip will show.” When machine-made clothing begins to dominate and there’s pressure to change, Dushik, the third generation to run the business, believes that dogs still need bespoke suits, and his resolve is borne out: “I never dreamed a suit could fit me so well!” a bulldog says. Artisan care and tradition are lovingly celebrated in this precise look at living craftsmanship. Ages 4–12. (Oct.)