MOONDOG

Two children discover hidden sides to their dog and to a lonely neighbor in this atmospheric tale from an author more known for psychologically charged novels. The morning after an early September full moon, Michael and Hazel find a puppy on their porch and a ravaged front yard. Usually so sweet that they dub him “Angel,” the pup proceeds to demolish the kitchen come the next full moon, and then to run away. The children follow Angel’s trail to the spooky house of old Miss Mingle, who turns out to be not the termagant she’s reputed to be, but a friendly lady who offers delicious cookies, plus the news that Angel is her own dog’s offspring, and a “moondog” given to serious behavioral changes every month unless given a certain potion. A friendship develops, and come Halloween (full moon again), the evidently dosed dogs, dressed in capes and fangs, placidly flank Miss Mingle’s door while she dispenses cookies to suddenly eager trick-or-treaters. No, it doesn’t exactly hang together, but Heo’s art—bright colors and broad patterns—reflects the tale’s mysterious tone and interspecies closeness—and many young dog owners will recognize a touch of moondog in their own pets. (Picture book. 7-9)