Look, we've all known (and loved) dumb dogs. That's the situation faced by a young boy and his parents after going to the shelter and basing their pet decision on one factor: "Let's take the saddest one." That'd be Norman, a stumpy-tailed little fella who is happy as heck living with the family, although he can't seem to learn anything. But a fortuitous trip to the local dog park reveals that Norman can, indeed, understand commands long as they're spoken in Chinese. So the family signs up for Chinese lessons, after which they discover that Norman is, in fact, quite intelligent. In many ways, this is reminiscent of Aaron Meshon's Take Me Out to the Yakyu (2013) in the way that it reinvigorates a common picture-book topic by filtering it through a multicultural lens. Multilingualism is presented as an interesting and immediately rewarding pursuit (cool words like zuòxià help), and Leng's ink illustrations keep things loose and friendly with almost Tintin-like characters. Henhao!

A boy is puzzled when the dog his family adopts doesn't respond to even the simplest commands. It turns out that Norman is neither untrained nor stupid; he "speaks" Chinese! So off the family heads to Chinese-language school. There are lessons here--about patience and intercultural understanding--but they're very lightly worn; the casual line of the ink-and-color illustrations reinforces the story's warmth.

In this picture-book debut, novelist Adderson (Jasper John Dooley: Not in Love, 2014, etc.) provides an affectionate look into the surprises of bringing home a new pet. It's a familiar scene for many families: A young boy and his parents adopt a dog from the animal shelter. Overwhelmed by the choices, the boy wishes he could take home every forlorn-looking pup. He decides that he'll choose a stray, Norman, that has been there the longest. The pup has a stump of a tail, and his wag is "a hula dance of happiness." At home, the boy encourages Norman to do the usual canine things, like sit or speak. Norman, however, doesn't understand, and the boy figures that Norman just isn't very smart. But intelligence is deceiving. Through an encounter with another pet owner, the boy discovers that Norman understands Chinese (Mandarin), not English. ("Norman! Why didn't you say so?" scolds the boy.) Pet lovers will appreciate this family's lighthearted journey toward making this relationship succeed. As an added bonus, readers can learn or brush up on their Mandarin, giving an original twist to the story. Leng's illustrations in ink on paper add heart with warm pastel hues. The simple and clean facial expressions convey emotions with the right touch, from puzzlement to complete joy. Norman's rocking rump and hula dance are quite the highlights—it's a language everyone can understand. (glossary) (Picture book. 4-8)

PreS-Gr 2 A boy visits the animal shelter in hopes of finding the perfect dog, but he is overwhelmed by the multitude of choices. Finally, he asks the shelter worker which one has been there the longest, and she leads him to Norman's cage. Out pops a short little pup with no tail. Not having a tail is no disability for Norman. Instead, he wags his whole rear end. The family falls in love with him because he's funny and friendly and he greets them at the door with a "funny-brown-hula-stump-wiggle-wag dance." The boy tries to teach him the simplest tricks, but the canine just cocks his head and stares at him, and he decides that Norman may not have been the smartest dog at the shelter. Then, at the park one day, they meet a Chinese man who talks to Norman, and the dog does exactly what the man tells him. Norman's former owners were Chinese! The family sets about learning a few commands to accommodate their new pet. Throughout this lovely story, it is clear that the boy and his parents love Norman just as he is. Simple ink drawings set against ample white space make the endearing dog come alive on paper. This title will be a surefire hit with children. Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA