Hello Human/Hello Dog (2025) is technically kind of a gimmicky book, but it is a good, sensible gimmick and it works.
It works because it is two books in one, and they are books that need to go together. The full title of one book is Hello Dog: A Guide for Humans. The other’s title is Hello Human: A Guide for Dogs. In the first Sara Levine guides little humans on how to meet a new dog for the first time. In the other, Levine guides dogs on how to meet humans.
Both books give advice on body language, who to approach, and what to do and what not to do. The books are upside down to one another, so you have to flip the book over when you end one and start the other…but they meet in a final image that works for both books.
The language is clear and simple, and Suzanne’s Kaufman’s images are colorful and cartoonish. The books’ advice is good, not just for kids but for adults too. (I volunteered walking dogs at our local humane society for five years, and lots of adopters would benefit from this little book.)
