Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature)
Many children in these days of joint custody sometimes live with their mother and sometimes with their dad. Our young narrator accepts this situation--content as long as she goes to the same school, has the same friends, and above all can have her dog Fred with her. In brief sentences she describes the differences between the two places she lives, with Fred the constant. The problem vexing her mother is Fred’s barking at the poodle next door. Her father is annoyed at Fred for stealing his socks. Both get angry and refuse to have Fred, but “Fred stays with ME!” she insists. It is reassuring that they work out a solution that makes everyone happy. The visuals depict Fred’s merry ways while ignoring the aggravations, for of course our narrator sees only the good in her friend. Tusa uses brown tones with touches of red and yellow in her sketchy watercolors to maintain positive emotions. Fred is a jaunty fellow who means no evil but just does what dogs do. Our sympathy is with his determined mistress. 2007, Little Brown and Company, $16.99. Ages 3 to 7.

Mary Hynes-Berry (Children's Literature)
Libraries and book stores are well stocked with “issue” books designed to help children deal with the life challenges many face, including death, illness, disabilities, and, in this case, divorce. Unfortunately, most of them are contrived, simplistic, cloying, or pompous. This book, with its simple text and clear message, gets it right. It takes the point of view of the child who often feels little or no control, even if the divorce is apparently amicable. We learn the narrator sometimes lives with her mom and sometimes with her dad, leading to a variety of adjustments the child has to make. One thing, however, is constant, she lets us know: “My dog, Fred, stays with me.” Children who are caught in this kind of situation are likely to cheer as the little girl puts her foot down. When each of the parents tries to foist the troublesome dog on the other, insisting the dog can’t stay with them, she declares: “Excuse me,’ I say. ‘Fred doesn’t stay with either of you. Fred stays with ME!’” Tusa’s sepia-toned, whimsical illustrations help keep the text upbeat. 2007, Little Brown, $16.95. Ages 4 to 8.

Emily Herring (Children's Literature)
A little girl, whose name we never find out, travels back and forth between her mom’s house and her dad’s house. Although everything is changing for this little girl, the one constant in her life is her dog Fred. When her parents both get upset with Fred for barking and stealing socks, they tell the little girl that Fred cannot live with either of them. The protagonist points out that Fred does not live with her mom or dad; he lives with her, because he goes back and forth to both houses with her. Tricia Tusa does an excellent job of illustrating the friendship between the little girl and Fred through the book’s pictures. In many of the illustrations, the dog comforts the little girl or plays with her in different situations. The picture of the two of them with their arms around each other really illustrates her need for the stability that this constant companion provides. The illustrations are somewhat blurry but still clear, which represents how many children of divorced parents feel a lot of times when going through situations similar to this one. This book may, in fact, help to comfort children dealing with divorce, since Coffelt tells it like it is but also deals delicately with an issue many children face every day. These children, too, need certain things in their complicated lives that never change. 2007, Little Brown and Company, $16.99. Ages 5 to 8.

CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices 2008)
A little girl stays part of each week at her mom’s and part at her dad’s. No matter where she is, her dog, Fred, stays, too. But Fred has issues. At her mom’s he barks at the neighbor’s dog . . a lot. At her dad’s he steals socks . . . all of them. He can be masterful at making messes, too. Now neither parent wants Fred to stay at their home. Nancy Coffelt takes a realistic look at a child who has learned to navigate the demands of her parents’ divorce with relative ease but relies on—and asserts her need for—the friend who is a constant in the midst of all the change. A little creative problem solving and behavior modification is the key in this spare, ultimately upbeat story. Tricia Tusa’s illustrations deftly blend a subdued palette with whimsical lines to create images that are neither somber nor too lighthearted. CCBC Category: Understanding Oneself and Others. 2007, Little Brown, 32 pages, $16.99. Ages 4-7.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, May 15, 2007 (Vol. 75, No. 10))
The word "divorce" is never uttered in this charming story of a young girl who sometimes lives with her mom, and sometimes with her dad, but who never leaves the side of her affable dog Fred. The differences in the girl's two homes are presented matter-of-factly, as is the common denominator of both household experiences—mom and dad alike are frustrated with Fred by day's end: "What am I going to do with this dog?" each parent asks, as the dog barks at mom's neighbor's poodle or eats dad's socks. When both parents insist the dog can't stay, the little girl, standing in a literal and figurative spotlight, states defiantly, "Excuse me . . . Fred doesn't stay with either of you. Fred stays with ME!" All ends well, as the families devise ways to manage Fred's canine idiosyncrasies. It all sounds simple enough, but Coffelt offers a fresh, villain-free look at a split family—and at a girl who finds strength, love and reassuring consistency in the dear pooch who is all her own. Tusa's winning, soft-edged, autumnally hued watercolor illustrations perfectly complement the quiet story, infusing humor and chaos into the more understated text. A gem. 2007, Little, Brown, 32p, $16.99. Category: Picture book. Ages 4 to 8. Starred Review. © 2007 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Deborah Stevenson (The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, September 2007 (Vol. 61, No. 1))
Our young narrator is a joint-custody kid, staying sometimes with her mom and sometimes with her dad, but her dog, Fred, always stays with her. Wonderful companion though Fred may be, he’s a bit of a nuisance, barking and messing up houses until both parents forbid his presence. Our girl takes a firm stand, however, and with parents pitching in on the problem-solving, Fred is soon an improved canine citizen. Some of the underlying implications are a little sadder than the story (and one wonders why nobody thought to involve Fred and his mistress in a little obedience training), but this is both truthful and understatedly touching in its attestation to the importance of a loyal pet; the matter-of-fact text makes the most of simple parallel structures to convey the narrator’s parallel existences. Tusa’s art is unobtrusively, thoughtfully excellent: pudgy, grinning Fred would be a comedy turn in another setting, but here his cheerful presence lifts the book as it does his mistress’ days; the meticulously subdued palette, in a rich range of earthtones from ochre to rust, adds a serious undertone to the cavorting of girl and dog; compositions cleverly keep the adults obscured and focus even more firmly on the two comrades. Even kids with just one home will recognize the importance of Fred’s loyal support, and they’ll appreciate anew the company of their own animal—perhaps even toy—friends. Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 2006, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2007, Little, 32p, $16.99. Ages 5-8 yrs.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2007)
Divorce gets a kid-empowering treatment in this congenial story. The narrator is matter-of-fact about her living situation, and where she goes, so goes her roly-poly mutt, Fred. Soft red- and brown-hued illustrations, securely bordered by lots of white space, reinforce the self-possessed mood of the text and focus attention on the special relationship between the girl and her dog. Category: Picture Books. 2007, Little, 32pp, 15.99. Ages 4 to 9. Rating: 1: Outstanding, noteworthy in style, content, and/or illustration.

Mary Roberts (The Lorgnette-Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 20, No. 1))
In the topsy-turvy world of broken homes, whom can a child rely on? Fred! Told from the child’s direct point of view, the reader can sense immediately the importance of her dog in an otherwise unsettled life. This whimsical waif compares her different lifestyles in each parent’s home--in one, she has a bunk bed and eats pizza; in the other, she has a regular bed, and they enjoy peanut butter sandwiches. But, in both homes, Fred sleeps on the floor and waits for dinnertime crumbs. Always. Our character explains, “Fred is my friend...when I’m happy, Fred is, too. And, when I’m sad, Fred is there.” The comical portrayal of this companion canine includes some not-so-endearing habits, such as barking at the neighbor’s poodle and stealing all her dad’s socks. “What are we going to do with Fred?” is a common lament. But, simple solutions and our character’s statement, “Fred stays with me!” closes the discussion. Inviting amber, gold, and brown-hued watercolor drawings are as warm as puppy kisses and just as joyful and comforting. This book is readily recommended. Fiction. Grades K-3. 2007, Little Brown, Unpaged., $16.99. Ages 5 to 9.