Enzo Races in the Rain! (Enzo)

K-Gr 2--Stein's adult novel The Art of Racing in the Rain was published in 2008 and in 2011 was adapted into, Racing in the Rain: My Life as a Dog, for tweens. There's now a picture book to add to the mix, loosely based on Stein's other titles. It's written in Enzo's first-person voice and tells the story of how the dog came to live with Denny. Enzo has always felt more human than canine and that racing cars (as in running next to them) is what made him happiest. So getting to go home with a race car driver and his little girl--"I see that the girl is small--a puppy like me" is perfect. The small backyard was not so perfect, but a gap in the fence is--"There's always a field beyond a fence, isn't there?" Enzo ends up racing through traffic creating a traffic jam, then leading his pursuers on a merry foot chase--"They like to run, too! This is fun!" When a cold rain starts, Enzo finds himself alone and lost but determined like his namesake. Enzo uses his nose and finds his way home for a happy reunion. The spot-on, full-color illustrations have lots of detail and action to move things along. Plus, the facial expressions of both man and beast, ranging from sadness, determination, joy, anger, surprise, and many places in between, add a great boost to the wordy text.--Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH