JUST GUS

A working farm dog and an anxious boy become best friends.

Gus is a livestock guardian dog who excels at protecting the sheep. A Great Pyrenees (illustrated as a massive, fluffy sweetheart), he’s lived outdoors his whole life, unlike the farm’s other dogs. He’s fond of “boss lady” Esperanza and her daughter, Cloe, and the other canines, including Stella, a service dog who alerts Cloe to seizures (and the protagonist of Stella, 2021). Gus, however, is a working dog at his very core. When a bear attacks, Gus is there—and when he leaps into the fray to protect one of the other dogs, he is gravely injured. The hardworking dog can’t bear being indoors as he heals and is comforted only by Diego, Cloe’s shy, soft-spoken cousin. Through Gus’ lightly anthropomorphized thoughts (he carefully reports all human conversations he hears despite not necessarily understanding everything), Diego’s overwhelming anxiety is apparent but is eased through his bond with Gus, and soon the dog realizes he has a new purpose as an emotional support animal for Diego. This is a comforting, quiet tale of a working dog slowly transitioning into a new life. Featuring a lovable animal protagonist, a relatable and persistent child trainer, and dog-training information, it’s a compelling read. Gus doesn’t report much on dog-irrelevant details like human appearance, though he’s very invested in the taste of ice cream, but his reports of conversations cue his human family as being Latine.

A gentle portrayal of a canine protagonist adjusting to a new role.