Elf Dog and Owl Head

Lynn: Forgive me for the radio silence! I’ve been traveling and then re-grouping from traveling but I have some fun books queued up to write about. I’m starting with a completely delightful book that is perfect for classroom and bedtime read-alouds. As an aside, I’ve been eager to see what creative work came out of the COVID shutdowns and the isolation experienced by the world. M.T. Anderson’s Elf Dog and Owl Head (Candlewick, 2023) for middle-grade readers is a wonderful reflection on how many younger readers experienced that event. A lot of kids are going to be nodding their heads in total agreement.

A sickness is keeping Clay and his family at home and they have gotten on each other’s last nerve! While rambling in the woods behind his house trying to play solo frisbee, Clay encounters a beautiful white dog with startling red ears. She is, of course, magical, and in adopting her, Clay discovers the unseen magical world and secret ways that she reveals to him. It is a glorious secret and one that changes Clay’s and his family’s lives as well as that of some very unusual woodland inhabitants.

This is a wryly witty romp through fairy tale tropes including a wily wyrm, sleeping misanthropic giants, cruel fey, and owl-headed people. The character portrayals are affectionate and spot-on, particularly 14-year-old DiRossi who is treasuring her new adolescent disdain for all things familiar, especially her family. Clay, who yearns for normal and his friends, is the main protagonist, learning how to truly be a friend to someone who is not yourself and how to look beyond the expected.

Black and white pencil sketch illustrations by Junyi Wu pepper the pages, adding to the enchantment.