Through Zeus’s eyes, younger readers spy the excitement—and terror—that comes with exploring big places all alone. The building complex is intimidating, to say the least, and Zeus doesn’t realize until it’s too late that not everyone wants to help him make it back home. He passes an elderly renter who can’t get away fast enough, and a young pool enthusiast seems friendly—until she carries him outside the recreation area and leaves him to his own devices. Poonam S’s digital illustrations aptly portray Zeus’s enthusiasm when he first escapes—and his growing fear, as the story progresses, that he will never find a way home.

Gladstone gradually builds Zeus’s sense of unease, through his treks through progressively scarier floors as he searches for his apartment (Zeus’s last stop, the basement, is dark, smelly, and forbidding), before gifting him the perfect helper at just the right moment—a relief for younger readers who may wonder whether this story has a happy ending. It does, thankfully, and Zeus celebrates that happy conclusion with a well-deserved snuggle and a nap, all thanks to one very accommodating doorman. Kids will cheer for Zeus’s curious spirit while wondering alongside him “where [his] next adventure is going to be.”

Takeaway: Big city pup learns to stay close to home in this charming tale.

Comparable Titles: Doug Salati’s Hot Dog, Marianna Coppo’s Such a Good Boy.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A-
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A