Brooklyn Bailey, the Missing Dog

LePape, Bailey’s real-life owner, is ably assisted by Sohn (The Actress for adults) in telling this ripped-from-the-headlines story—well, ripped from a 2016 New York Times “Pet City” column, at any rate. Bailey bolts from her owners’ customary coffee shop stop after being startled by a passerby. At the forefront of the effort to bring her home is her family: Ima and her two sons, Yotam and Emile, who plaster the neighborhood with posters. But a vivid secondary cast of sympathetic friends (Omar the shop owner, Mike the sanitation worker, and Felicia the mail carrier) and helpful strangers (“That way!” points a woman with a briefcase as Bailey scoots away) offer kind assists. VanderPloeg makes a lively picture book debut with fluid digital illustrations that include a double-spread, block-by-block map of the story’s Brooklyn setting; she combines a cosmopolitan aesthetic with a keen reportorial eye, immersing readers in the bustling energy of a close-knit, upscale community. Ages 4–8. [em](Apr.) [/em]