The Stray Dog: From a True Story by Reiko Sassa

“This picture book has all the earmarks of a classic. Simont gets it all right.” —The Horn Book (starred review)

Caldecott Medalist Marc Simont's heartwarming tale of a stray dog is told with tender simplicity and grace.

When a little dog appears at a family picnic, the girl and boy play with him all afternoon, and they name him Willy. At day's end they say good-bye. But the dog has won their hearts and stays on their minds.

The following Saturday the family returns to the picnic grounds to look for Willy, but they are not alone—the dog catcher is looking for him, too!

Awards for this book include: Caldecott Honor Book * New York Times Best Illustrated Book * ALA Notable Children's Book * Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book * Amazon.com Editors’ Pick * School Library Journal Best Book * New York Public Library’s “One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing”