Hip Hop Dog (SIGNED BY RASCHKA)
by: Raschka/Vladimir Radunsky, Chris

Hardcover. New York, HarperCollins, 1st, 2010, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket. SIGNED by RASCHKA. Raschka's and Radunsky's simpatico styles are at long last paired in this "doggy allegory" told in a hip-hop beat. Born into a litter of 16, the scruffy protagonist is the pup not chosen--the "saddest and the baddest." His solitude, however, facilitates his sensitivity to the sounds that permeate his urban environment, and while the "clatter makes him gladder," ultimately it's the strains of opera that motivate him to "bark it like Brunhilda." Raschka's musicality undergirds his street-savvy lingo, making the narrative fresh and lyrical. The font becomes bigger and bolder to indicate emphasis, a technique that is particularly helpful when the text spirals around the pages. "I'm the zoom-est and the boom-est, spread no gloom-est, say no doom-est. I'm the top-est, never stop-est, Boston Pop-est, be be bop-est. I jazzle dazzle like it as the Hip Hop Dog." Radunsky's caricatures of the moves of a canine version of Snoop Dogg manage to be convincing, poignant, and funny--no small feat. Loose lines, brushwork that allows the textured background to show through, and occasional bits of collage combine to create a gritty cityscape peopled with quirky personalities. This story of a neglected orphan who sings and struts his way to happiness will gladden the hearts of readers young and old.