Little Madlenka was introduced in the book Madlenka (Farrar, 2000), in which she showed her loose tooth to various vendors and shopkeepers on her urban block. Now, Madlenka, who wants a dog, must rely on her imagination after her parents say no. Madlenka’s dog, represented by the red leash and collar that lead Madlenka around the block, may not be visible to readers and listeners, but most children will understand how very real that dog is to Madlenka. So do the shopkeepers on Madlenka’s block, whom she once again visits to introduce her new companion. There are flaps to be lifted on some pages, revealing the dogs and puppies remembered by the adult friends on her block, who come from nations around the world. As in the original Madlenka, endpapers represent the earth from space, and then the North American continent with a small red dot for New York City, offering older children the opportunity to consider the way the worlds they know–of neighborhood, block, or community–are at once complete and part of something greater. (Ages 3-7)