Embrace Your Inner ODD DOG OUT!

For months I've been immersed in reading and evaluating nonfiction titles as a Round One panelist for  elementary and middle grade Cybils Awards nominees. Here's a holiday break in praise of title that is out of step with those books. It's timely to share it now, as a potential holiday gift and a suggestion to add to your own wish list for home or classroom or library. 

Harper, 2019

ODD DOG OUT is the creative work of award- winning author/illustrator. Rob Biddulph. It's also a delightful and welcome funny book, a lively lift for the eyes and ears. The title and cover reveal the problem: a free-spirited dog with a flair for fashion does not fit in with the buttoned-down, uptight "others" in a very busy city. The rhymed text moves line by line and scene by scene to reveal that this ODD DOG OUT bucks the trends and zigs when all the others zag. 
Conformity keeps that busy city humming along, at work or at play. Odd Dog is happy to play along, but on her own terms. Terms that are not always welcomed.
It's only when the Odd Dog resolves to leave that we become aware this is a female dog, as pronouns "she" and "her" are used. She admits defeat and embarks (See what i did there?) on a journey to find a place to fit in.
Her arrival in DOGGYWOOD brightens her eyes and adds a smile to her lips. She's found an entire city that hears the beat of her drum.
Until...

She spots one dog, an odd dog out, and offers a friendly bit of sympathy. To her surprise, this odd hound feels right at home, proclaiming that standing out in a crowd should make you proud!
That nibble of wise kibble sends her flying back home, ready to reclaim her place in the big city. To her surprise, she's welcomed back with cheers by the others who missed her distinctive style. In final page twists, many others had begun to explore their own free spirits,  discovering that uniformity isn't all it's cracked up to be! 
This is a timely and timeless message that will ring true from the littlest littles to awkward adolescents right through to adults. That feeling of not-fitting-in can be isolating and crippling, even for the most confident among us. 
In this case I was particularly pleased with the twist in which her journey to fit in led her to a place in which she was "matchy-matchy" with everyone else, but it didn't end there. 
I'll come back to that thought in my final note. 
First, though, kudos to Biddulph for the vibrant tone and detail of the illustrations. The art is distinctly digital with crisp edges, saturated colors, meaningful repetitive images, and page layouts that reflect his art director background. Tiny details (the eyes always have it!) and subtle idiosyncrasies defy those who might see this as stamped art. Young fans of WHERE'S WALDO will relish a chance to locate our ODD DOG. In fact, Waldo's perfectly round glasses with pinpoint eyes are charmingly similar to the eyes of these delightful dachshunds.
There are also many grin-worthy visual asides and quirky corners to explore. Below are just a few examples: an irresistible introduction to ODD DOG OUT on the cover, another invitation to examine each and every compartment on the commuter train to locate our Odd Dog, the sailing sea dogs whose uniforms are consistently, well, uniform, but whose windblown ears make me wish i could decipher semaphore signals, and the comical interpretations of ODD DOG's  heroic journey.

I'm a fan of this book because it offers something for everyone, at every level.  It's perfect to hold in your lap with a toddler, rhyming encourages rereading and eventual independent reading, the humor ranges from slapstick to sophisticated, and the philosophical questions invite discussion. Adults will recognize the buttoned up East Coast versus the free-spirited West Coast crowd.
Now for my only quibble:
When ODD DOG arrives in DOGGYWOOD, it's only natural that she would at first feel right at home. She found "her people", after all. I was just a bit disappointed that she "learned" to embrace her unique style through "mansplaining". I would have preferred that she spend enough time to miss "home" and friends and come to self-acceptance on her own.
PLEASE don't think this makes the book less appealing- it is a winner. Just consider the possibility that this subject, too, might merit some discussion, even with the younger ones. 
And the final page twists and surprises are some of the most fun images in the book, with a message all their own. 
Uncork your bottle, people, and let your ODD DOG OUT!

Postscript:  Creator Rob Biddulph replied that the pivotal advice of the ODD DOG in the sweater (jumper) and cap is NOT male. It's my error to have judged by clothing stereotyping, but his comment led me back to take a closer look at signals for gender. 
This, too, opens up a chance to explore gender stereotyping among even the very youngest readers!  
Love those layers!
And thank you to Rob for chiming in with that note.