Nothing in Common

PreS-Gr 2--In a wistful urban landscape, two children (one with blue hair, pants, and backpack; the other wearing red) quietly admire the neighbor's dog from their separate apartment windows but never speak to him, or each other. The first half of the book emanates a delicate introversion, from the downcast glances and gouache-tinged pencil-and-ink illustrations to the repeated refrain ("they had nothing in common") and the lyrical flourishes ("things they felt under the floors of their hearts"). Then the story takes a whimsical turn. The dog has gone missing, so the two children don helmets and binoculars in their designated colors and venture out into the depopulated city to search. Inevitably, they will meet on their common quest. Hoefler manages this surreal twist with the same introspective lyricism as before ("a balloon is a great moon with ropes"), the language sustaining the quiet expectation of the first half. The illustrations take on a slightly heightened shine with nightfall--stars twinkle, light radiates more distinctly, the colors begin to blend--as the children restore the balloon-dog to its lonely owner and begin their friendship. VERDICT This simultaneously hushed and fanciful version of two-loners-find-their-perfect-match offers an unusual combination of tone, content, and fancy.--Robbin E. Friedman, Chappaqua Lib., NY

She's a girl with long straight hair; he's a boy with a quiff. Luyken (My Heart) draws the two with simple, wistful lines. Their apartment windows face each other, but "they had nothing in common, so they never waved," Hoefler (Rabbit and the Motorbike) explains. They're fascinated by the same elderly neighbor and his jaunty white terrier, however: "The dog could do marvelous things. And did. Things they felt under the floors of their hearts." One day, the old man loses his dog ("Neither had ever seen an old man cry"), and the two act on the same impulse: "They both went out with binoculars and a helmet for thinking." Rescuing the pup reveals that they have quite a lot in common. Lilting prose by Hoefler sustains an atmosphere of poignant vulnerability. Against a backdrop of misty paint swirls, wistful vignettes in reds, whites, and blues linger on the old man's kind face and the dog's intrepid curiosity. The tale reads as much fanciful rom-com as children's story, but readers young and old will understand that love is what draws people together. Ages 4-7. Agent for author and illustrator: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Sept.)