Harriet Hound

March 14, 2023
Harriet Hound is eight years old, vegan, and autistic. Her family runs a dog rescue shelter, Hound’s Rescue, on Hound Lane in their town of Labrador. On her eighth birthday, Harriet’s Nana secretly gifts her a set of superhero pyjamas, allowing her to call on dogs from Hound’s Rescue whenever the day needs saving! Young animal lovers will find a lot to love here. Three separate stories are interspersed with doggy fact sheets (including adorable breed portraits by Sophie Beer), and the book concludes with a guide to rescuing a dog, detailing exactly what is required of new owners in terms of time, money, housing, and emotional support. In a direct—but age-appropriate—way, this guide encourages young readers to think carefully about whether they are ready to care for a dog. Those familiar with Foster’s previous middle-grade titles, Paws and The Hardest Word, will be unsurprised by her genuine, and often joyous, depiction of being autistic. All of Harriet’s classmates are autistic, and Foster takes the opportunity to explain to young readers that not all autistic people are the same. Harriet informs us that some of her classmates are loud, some are quiet, some stim (like Harriet), some have a full-time carer, and some are independent. Each child is unique, but ‘We all work together to make Miss Boyle’s classroom one of the most colourful, fabulous, perfect places ever!’

November 1, 2024
A young neurodivergent girl saves the day with help from her family's rescue dogs. Eight-year-old Harriet is autistic, and she's a superhero! She assists the members of her community in Labrador, Australia, with their appropriately low-stakes problems. Whenever she has a problem, she turns to her magic pajamas, which are covered in images of canines from Hound's Rescue, an organization run by her family; as soon as she touches a picture, the dog appears. In each of the book's three stories, she picks just the right pooch for the job, teaching readers about dog breeds in the process. Huskies come to the rescue by pulling a cart of ice cream, while a Newfoundland is perfect for cuddling cold children after a rainstorm. The prose is thrilling and fast-paced, with different fonts and font sizes emphasizing important words and highlighting potentially unfamiliar vocabulary. Harriet's autism isn't the focus of the story but is an important part of her character. Her stims and accommodations (including noise-canceling headphones and a stress ball), as well as her penchant for soft, comfy clothes, are casually mentioned; many autistic readers will feel seen. Children will enjoy Harriet's dog-filled adventures. Harriet presents white in Beer's chipper black-and-white artwork, while her community is diverse. Fun adventures featuring positive autistic representation. (additional information about dogs)(Fiction. 6-9)

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Starred review from November 1, 2024
Grades 1-4 *Starred Review* Harriet Hound is no ordinary eight-year-old. Her besties are the rescue dogs her family cares for at their rescue hotel--in the Australian town of Labrador, no less. She is living her life large as an autistic super sleuth, using her unique way of perceiving the world to solve the mysteries that crop up in her neighborhood. With endearing charm and cleverness, Harriet applies her knowledge of canine abilities to pair the perfect pooches with each situation, unraveling age-appropriate conundrums. An early chapter-book with wonderful autism representation, it is also a hoot and a half. Harriet's adventures are engaging and informative, and readers who love canines will gobble up the facts while cheering on this pint-sized Sherlock. The text is cleverly given emotion and emphasis through well-selected fonts, and the sweetly comical illustrations by Beer are icing on the cake. Readers will enjoy romping along with Harriet and her pups and hope for more adventures to come. For those who enjoy spunky Junie B. Jones-like leads and simple-solve mysteries like Nate the Great--not to mention Puppy Patrol assistants! A must-buy for all libraries serving young children.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

December 1, 2024

Gr 1-4-The book's first pages provide a full introduction to Harriet Hound. She's eight years old, vegan, autistic, and her family owns an animal rescue in Australia. But Harriet also has secret superhero powers, gifted to her by her grandmother; with a twirl and a wish, she can summon those rescue animals into a magical bubble to help her solve problems in her community. In three stories, Harriet solves a mystery of garden vegetables gone missing, provides respite to her classmates caught in a storm, and helps a festival vendor locate misdirected packages. In each of these, the resolution created by the magic she invokes is an unnecessary plot device. Harriet's real superpower is her heightened sensitivity to her surroundings, a marker for autism. Notable visual text characteristics are the placement of expressive words that appear on most pages in varying sizes, which may indicate internal expression of enthusiasm in an outwardly quiet character. Foster also uses lists in handwriting typeface to create visual interest and add useful information about animal ownership. Beer's charming illustrations augment the narrative. VERDICT An amiable chapter book that illuminates the daily life of a child on the autism spectrum while providing information on dogs. An unnecessary fantasy element adds little to the storytelling.-Lisa Lehmuller

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