Title: Dumpster Dog (Chien Pourri in French) This is Book 1 in a new series called The Adventures of Dumpster Dog.
Author: Colas Gutman
Illustrator: Marc Boutavant
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Press, 2019
Translated from French by: Claudia Bedrick & Allison M. Charette
Ages: 6-8
Themes: cats, dogs, friendship, humor, outcasts, animal suffering, rejection
Opening:
Dumpster Dog was born in a dumpy, old garbage can. There are many rumors about him: He might have been abandoned by his parents, he smells like sardines, and he can’t tell his right from his left…
Synopsis:
Dumpster Dog dreams of treats, balls, and leashes. He wants someone to play with, someone who will take him on long walks, someone who will feed him–he wants a master. So begins Dumpster Dog’s search for a human companion. But he will soon learn that finding a good master isn’t as easy as it sounds, and that the world can be a dangerous place.
Why I like this book:
I love the absurdist French humor, and the friendship between Dumspter Dog and the cat with whom he shares his garbage can, Flat Cat. It doesn’t have the happy ending one would expect for this age group as Dumpster Dog is really the anti-hero, flea-ridden, a little slow on the uptake, ugly but adorable.
Amidst the humor and endearing art by Marc Boutavant, it is a beautiful and sad story about animal suffering in our society: abandonment, vagrancy, rejection, human cruelty, lies… it packs some epic subject matter in its 47 pages. Truly you can tell this is a foreign import, which I love.
In my 20's, with only my guitar and a rucksack, I wandered the continents, immersing myself in the lives of some wonderful people, projects and stories, which changed the way I view my responsibility to others and this earth. Right now I'm a European transplant in the US who writes books for children and young adults. Stories can help us not only navigate our world but can connect us to others, and allow us to inspire and help each other. I believe that equity and empathy should be at the core of our all actions, words, and stories.
I am also a school librarian and I get a kick out of book-matchmaking! And I use the pronouns she/her.
Yes, those end papers give you a clue that this is not going to end well. The SFPL does not have it on order. Interesting that the NYTime quote on Amazon says that the humor is reminiscent of Lemony Snicket’s “dark hilarity.” To me, hilarity usually involves some form of a happy ending, which if I understand you correctly, is not the case. Will ask the SFPL to order.