“Hey, Boy,” a debut picture book by Benjamin Strouse and Jennifer Phelan, is the story of a young man’s life and a dog that weaves in and out of it. A boy, with the help of some strategically dropped kibbles, meets and takes in a dog. Mom decides the boy is too young to handle a pet and takes it to the pound (why does Mom always have to be the bad cop?), where it’s adopted by an older couple. Inspired by energetic visits with the dog, the boy is determined to grow up quickly so they can reunite permanently. As the boy matures and goes off to college, he never forgets the dog, but his visits are less frequent. Eventually, the couple — now too old to care for the dog — ask the boy to adopt him, which he happily does. Boy and dog are finally reunited, and the boy modifies their adventures to accommodate the dog’s now diminished abilities, so the messages of patience, love and loyalty continue to the end. Aesthetically, the book feels retro yet fresh, with a canvas-textured cover, letterpress-inspired type and block-print-style illustrations. Like a new old friend, it’s sure to be a book worth revisiting.
