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American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
Blocked by Geoff Ryman
A Busy Day at the Farm by Doreen Cronin
Calamity Jack by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale and Nathan Hale
The Cat in the Hat Comes Back by Dr. Seuss
The Cat Who Wasn't a Dog by Marian Babson
Coolies by Yin
D.A. by Connie Willis
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Doctor Who and the Talons of Weng Chiang by Terrance Dicks
The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright
The Far Shore by Elizabeth Hand
Ghost Ship by Dietlof Reiche
Goodnight Goon by Michael Rex
Henry the Sailor Cat by Mary Calhoun
Henry's Show and Tell by Nancy Carlson
Her by Laura Zigman
I Love You, Mama, Any Time of the Year by Nancy Whilte Carlstrom
I Spy a School Bus by Jean Marzollo
The Knight at Dawn (Magic Tree House #2) by Mary Pope Osborne
Little Bo by Julie Andrews Edwards
Lost and Found by Jane Sigaloff
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Monsters vs Aliens: Team Monster by Gale Herman
My First Time Board Book by Elizabeth Hester
Nana Volume 3 by Ai Yazawa
Nation by Terry Pratchett
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Olivia Acts Out by Jodie Shepherd
Rules of the Net by Jennifer Guess McKerley
Shadowland (Mediator #1) by Meg Cabot
Shooting an Albatross by Steven R. Lundin
Sugar Time by Jane Adams
Time and Time Again by James Hilton
Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 13: Hobgoblin by Brian Michael Bendis
Viking Ships Before Sunrise (Magic Tree House #15) by Mary Pope Osborne
Wally the Walking Fish Meets Madinson and Cooper by Gary Lamit
The Woman Who Wouldn't by Gene Wilder
Why I Will Never Ever Ever Ever Have Enough Time to Read This Book by Remy Charlip
Zak: The One-of-a-Kind Dog by Jane Lidz
Zombie Queen of Newbury High by Amanda Ashby

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Zak: The One-of-a-Kind Dog: 02/17/10

One of my favorite names is Zak. Zach, Zack and Zac are okay but Zak just tickles my fancy. I chose the picture book Zak: The One-of-a-Kind Dog by Jane Lidz just for the dog's name. I checked it out for myself but Harriet ended up wanting to read it too.

As it turns out, Jane Lidz is a local artist. She specializes in abstracts, geometrics, hearts, landscapes and horses. Her colors are bold and although Zak: The One-of-a-Kind Dog is a departure from where her art seems to be now, I can see how they came from the same creative mind.

Zak is a typical looking mutt dog. From the other children's books that feature dogs, Zak reminds me most of Ralph from Alice, the Cat Who Was Hounded by Jules Rosenthal. He's an ugly Benji. He's a small dog with floopy triangle ears and wiry fur.

Zak decides he needs to know what kind of dog he is. The book chronicles his search for his heritage and identity with photographs that appear to be hand tinted black and whites. He discovers his own unique gestalt and with it an inner peace.

Jane Lidz's book was read on an episode of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. You can read about it on the Neighborhood Archive.

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