A Family for Louie

by Alexandra Thompson, Alexandra Thompson (Illustrator)

Overview

A foodie French bulldog finds a forever home in this heartwarming and adorable debut picture book, sure to appeal to fans of Gaston, Ellie, and Little Elliot, Big City.

Meet Louie. He's a dog of very fine taste. He knows every chef in town, and each day he wanders the city, visiting his favorite restaurants. It's a good life, except... Louie is all on his own. What Louie wants more than anything is a family.

But try as he might, Louie can't seem to find a family that's right for him. At the beach, he meets a little boy and his mother... but they're eating green jello salad and sardine sandwiches (Louie's least favorite foods!). At his favorite sushi restaurant, Louie spies a father and daughter with an open seat at their table... but their cat chases him away. At the park, he meets a nice family having a yummy barbecue, but when they invite him to play frisbee... Louie just can't keep up. Where-oh-where will Louie find a just-right family of his very own?

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Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781984813213
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	06/09/2020
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	10.10(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Alexandra Thompson is an author, an illustrator, and a surface designer. She has lived all over New England, but has finally settled down in Maine with her husband and their cat, Sleepy. When she's not drawing, she can be found exploring the forest or wakesurfing in the short but sweet summer months. A Family for Louie is her debut picture book.

Editorial Reviews

"Effortlessly cute . . . Sure to be a storytime favorite for grownups and kiddos alike." —BCCB

"A sweet (but not saccharine) story about finding a forever family." —Kirkus Reviews

"Thompson’s soft digital illustrations create a vibrant, cozy city filled with charming detail, where pups with discerning palates are welcomed in fine dining establishments. It’s a joy to follow Louie on his journey to finding his forever family." —Booklist

"Likable . . . Soft and detailed." —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

05/01/2020

PreS-Gr 1—Louie is a dog living on his own. He enjoys big meals, bathing in the park fountain, and reading a good book in his home under a tree. Although Louie originally thinks his life is perfect, he soon feels lonely and wants to find a family. He interacts with different people, but none of them are a good match for him, and he begins to feel defeated. Finally, he wanders across a new bakery, where he meets a girl and her mother. The three hit it off quickly after meeting and now Louie enjoys a bath, a meal, and a book with his new family. Although adequate in execution, there is little that this picture book offers to distinguish itself from others in a similar vein. The conclusion is predictable and the family, while satisfactory, are forgettable and bland. Louie is superficially likable, but at times seems more self-interested and dismissive of the other people he encounters. The illustrations, which were created digitally, are soft and detailed. VERDICT A serviceable but fairly by-the-numbers picture book. An additional purchase.—Laura J. Giunta, Garden City Public Library, NY

School Library Journal

2020-03-15
A French bulldog named Louie lives by himself and eats meals alone at neighborhood restaurants. But Louie wants a family to call his own.

Little Louie has a comfortable life, sleeping in his tiny home hidden away underground. He eats each meal sitting alone at a different restaurant, enjoying dishes like raspberry pancakes and fish tacos. As he sees human families enjoying time together, Louie wishes he could have a family of his own. He tries to insert himself into several families, but each presents some barrier such as unacceptable food or a cranky cat. But when Louie visits a new bakery, the daughter of the owner takes a shine to Louie and convinces her mom to let Louie join their family. The story has a gentle air of make-believe, as Louie’s anthropomorphic lifestyle and ability to read and reason are never explained but are believable nevertheless. His emotions are conveyed in soft-focus illustrations, especially in one poignant view of families playing together at sunset as Louie looks on in solitude from a hillside. The bakery owner and her daughter present white; other characters are diverse. The family groups are also diverse in composition, including mostly single parents, a grandfather and granddaughter, and a family with two moms.

A sweet (but not saccharine) story about finding a forever family. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews