Gaston (Kelly DiPucchio, author. Christian Robinson, illustrator. Athenum Books for Young Readers, 2014).

Scrumptious illustrations. Clever text. French flair. Not to mention highlighting authenticity and mixed families. This picture book is a charmer.

A springtime trip to the park reveals that a poodle and a bulldog were somehow switched at birth. They swap places and leave the park with the families that they were born into; everything looks as it should be. But the dogs and their families soon discover that looking and feeling like you’re in the right place are two very different things. The ending leaves the reader with a warm glow, for Gaston and Antoinette, the bulldog and poodle involved in the mix-up, breed puppies of their own, who are encouraged to be whatever they want to be. DiPucchio has some other fantastic books – check out Zombie in Love (Athenum Books for Young Readers, 2011) for another fun read.