The Dog That Nino Didn’t Have

Nino imagines that he has a dog, but he doesn’t really. He plays with it all the time, and it goes everywhere with him. They go to the lake and the dog jumps in, and the dog gets on his grandmother’s lap, and the dog loves to chase squirrels, and loves the taste of salty water. The salty water the dog always tastes is Nino’s tears, because Nino is sad that his father is not there. One day Nino’s imaginary dog isn’t there, but a real dog is. A nice, obedient, loving dog. This dog is like his imaginary dog because it does things with him, but it’s different too. It likes chasing rabbits, and it’s scared of his grandmother. This dog doesn’t taste Nino’s tears, because Nino feels much happier.

This is a thoughtful book, one that makes you think a lot. You think about where his father is, like maybe in India or Africa or Hawaii, because he sends Nino a Tiki mask and other things. The pictures are really interesting too. You wonder if Nino is camping or if that is just where he lives. It is really different. This book makes you feel very quiet and thoughtful.