When Molly Drew Dogs
by Deborah Kerbel (Author) Lis Xu (Illustrator)
On the night before the first day of school, a pack of stray dogs moves into Molly's head. They are friendly, but a bit wild. They scamper through her thoughts, yap at the door to her dreams, and scratch at her brain, begging to be let out. So Molly starts to draw them.
When Molly draws dogs, she feels better--but not everyone can see the value of her strange habit. Her teacher tells her to focus. A special tutor urges her to concentrate. But Molly can't erase the dogs, even if she wants to. As her anxiety peaks, Molly runs away. Once she is found, safe and sound, people around Molly realize the protective power of her pack and how the dogs help tame her troubled feelings.
Inspired by the Japanese folktale, "The Boy Who Drew Cats," this story celebrates the healing powers of art and imagination while touching on important issues of anxiety, mental health, and ways to cope with emotions.
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School Library Journal
Gr 1-3-In a story loosely based on the Japanese folktale "The Boy Who Drew Cats," a pack of wild dogs moves into young Molly Akita's head. Unable to focus at home or school, Molly begins drawing her dogs everywhere. Everyone tries to get Molly to concentrate and be more serious. Frustrated, she runs away and becomes lost. Frightened and alone, she draws her dogs for comfort, and, in return, they come alive and protect her in the night. Xu's illustrations are fuzzy and indistinct, with a dark palette that suits the mood. Molly's anxiety manifests itself through her art, but other than her teacher finally allowing Molly to share her dogs, no other growth is evident. Older readers may feel let down by the lack of a fully fleshed out story. What caused the pack of dogs to move into Molly's head? Where is the evidence that everyone searched for Molly when she gets lost? Everything but Molly drawing her dogs happens off the page. Is Molly able to focus and work now that she is able to share her art? Understanding by the teacher doesn't balance out the mostly static characters and bare-bones storytelling. VERDICT A serviceable but not essential book about valuing differences.-Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA
Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
JUV051000 - Juvenile Fiction | Imagination & Play
JUV002070 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Dogs
JUV039130 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Runaways
JUV039240 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Depression & Mental Illness
Imagination
Emotions
