The Stray Dog: From a True Story by Reiko Sassa

Caldecott Medalist Marc Simont’s heartwarming tale of a stray dog is told with tender simplicity and grace. When a little dog appears at a family picnic, the girl and boy play with him all afternoon, and they name him Willy. At day’s end they say good-bye. But the dog has won their hearts and stays on their minds. The following Saturday the family returns to the picnic grounds to look for Willy, but they are not alone—the dog catcher is looking for him, too! Awards for this book include: Caldecott Honor Book New York Times Best Illustrated Book ALA Notable Children’s Book Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book Amazon.com Editors’ Pick School Library Journal Best Book New York Public Library’s “One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing”