Rosie the Truffle Hound

K-Gr 2–Rosie is a self-possessed poodle who walks upright, rides a bike, and has such a keen sense of smell she can “smell the stale breath of a sleeping mole” deep underground. Unable to help her human family at their chocolate truffle shop (where the chocolate is, of course, poisonous to dogs), Rosie runs away to the city to seek employment. Stints as a museum guard dog, a show dog, and a guide dog don’t work out, but she finds her calling when she responds to an ad for a job as a truffle hound. She becomes an expert but misses her family and returns home where, to her surprise, the smell of truffles (the fungi kind) is in the air. Reunited, Rosie’s family now happily sells both kinds of truffles. Painted in gouache with lots of greens and peachy pinks, the naive illustrations are cheerfully comic and packed with dainty details to explore. They pair perfectly with the quirky, lighthearted text. A recipe for each type of truffle is included.