Izzy in the Doghouse

October 1, 2020

Gr 1-3-Izzy, an exuberant white girl with a straight dark bob, can sometimes be a bit much; fans of Adderson's "Jasper John Dooley" series will recall her unrestrained personality from book three. When Izzy gets her favorite friend in trouble at recess (again), Zo�, an equally goofy but more rule-abiding Black girl with two puffs, decides to take a couple days off from being Izzy's bestie. In heavily illustrated pages with comfortable leading, Adderson's spin-off opener follows Izzy as she struggles to wait for her friend's anticipated forgiveness. During Izzy and Zo�'s fallow period, Adderson highlights other social-emotional concepts, addressing both adoption-Izzy and her mother openly discuss how they came together-and the responsibilities of pet ownership with specificity and warmth. Izzy's underrepresented family structure includes her working single mother, her indispensable nanny, and a new puppy! Rosa, the Latinx caregiver, receives the least development beyond her attachment to a daily telenovela, but Adderson does include nods to her life outside of Izzy's home. Rollo the dog, a bit player in Adderson's other series, gets his origin story here as a labor-intensive recipient of Izzy's considerable energy and unfiltered affections; the girl happily connects her enthusiasm for the new puppy to her mother's experience adopting her. VERDICT A big-hearted series spin-off that stands (and yips) alone.-Robbin E. Friedman, Chappaqua Lib., NY

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2020
If your favorite friend was annoyed at you while your single mom was on a business trip, wouldn't a new puppy make everything feel all right again? Isabel and Zo� are such favorite friends at school that even their coats, intertwined in their side-by-side cubbies, are best buddies. Izzy and Zo� also share a madcap sense of humor that includes toilet-paper tails and pretend-dirt sandwiches. Sometimes this lands them in the principal's office, which Zo� hates. Luckily, Izzy's caring, live-in nanny and loving, adoptive mom determine that Izzy's exuberant impulsiveness suggests that she has "a lot of love" to spread for just a three-person family, so they get a puppy for her to baby. The dog-adoption process echoes Izzy's own experience of being adopted, as told to her by her mom. With this title, Adderson, author of the Jasper John Dooley chapter-book series, introduces another series for the age group with a character reminiscent of such icons as Ruby Lu and Clementine. Izzy's mom presents White, and gap-toothed Izzy has pale skin, straight, black hair, and freckles. Best friend Zo� is a child of color, the school principal is Asian, and Izzy's nanny is Latinx (cued stereotypically in part by her extreme fondness for the telenovela Love at First Sight). The short and pithy chapters, believable and specific kid language, and Collier's spunky illustrations make this a promising kickoff to a new series. An endearing, energetic take on chapter books for transitioning readers. (Fiction. 6-9)

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