Mr. Scruff waits patiently in the pound to be adopted. Every other dog has a human that seems to match it perfectly in name and appearance. Curly-haired poodle Polly belongs to curly-haired Molly. Eric belongs to Derek. Lawrence belongs to Florence. Mr. Scruff has no one—until Jim arrives, that is. But are they really a good match? Jim’s dad points out their size difference. Mr. Scruff is so big, and Jim is so small. Mr. Scruff is so old, whereas Jim is only a child. And of course, their names don’t rhyme! But in the end, rhyming names and having traits in common is not as important as the fact that Mr. Scruff needs a home, and Jim wants to be the one to provide it. Never mind that old Mr. Gruff arrives to choose a dog soon afterward. For him, it’ll have to be the puppy named Tim. Complete with playful ink-and-watercolor illustrations, this story featuring a biracial (Black/white) boy gently encourages readers to look beyond similarities when choosing friends and companions. (Ages 3–8)