GASTON by Kelly DiPucchio. Illustrated by Christian Robinson.  New York: Atheneum Books, 2014. 32p.  ISBN 9781442 45025 hc. $16.99.  Gr. K-2  E PIC

Written by Michigan author, Kelly DiPucchio, and illustrated by Christian Robinson, GASTON will delight children in Grades K-1, along with their siblings and parents.  A young bulldog named Gaston makes every effort to learn his manners, just like his poodle sisters who are “no bigger than teacups,” but he continues to grow, making it difficult to “sip…Never slobber!” and “yip….Never Yap!”   A springtime excursion to the park, leads to a chance meeting between the poodles and a family of bulldogs who have an unusual poodle sibling named Antoinette.  A look between the mothers makes it clear that two of the dogs were sent home with the wrong families, so they switch pups again.  Depending on the age of the reader, this tale of belonging will lead to layers of discussion about family structure.  Robinson’s art looks deceptively simple, featuring the pups as negative white space against bright backgrounds.  Dots for eyes and nose with a simple mouth line perfectly convey each dog’s personality and joy as Gaston and Antoinette decide to return to the families who raised them.