Lumpito and the Painter From Spain

It’s Picasso like you’ve never seen him before: through the eyes of a discontented dachshund. Based on a true story, Kulling’s tale opens with Lump’s unhappy life in Rome with photographer David Douglas Duncan and another, much larger dog: “Lump and Big Dog were not best friends,” writes Kulling as an amusing montage shows the dogs engaged in multiple skirmishes. When David takes Lump to visit Picasso, the spark is undeniable, and Lump remains with Picasso. In a tender moment, the artist clutches Lump like a child: “They stood looking at the moon, listening for the night to share its secrets.” Readers won’t learn much about Picasso himself, beyond his benevolent temperament as seen through Griffiths’s naturalistic paintings, but it’s an exceptionally heartwarming anecdote about the artist. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)