The Adventures of Honey & Leon - Hardcover

ALAN CUMMING is an award-winning stage and film actor, activist, bestselling author, singer, director, and producer, and has also designed some wallpaper. On Broadway he has appeared in The Threepenny Opera, as the master of ceremonies in Cabaret (for which he won a Tony Award), Design for Living, and a one-man adaptation of Macbeth. His best-known film roles include his performances in Emma, GoldenEye, the Spy Kids trilogy, and X2: X-Men United. Cumming also introduces Masterpiece Mystery! for PBS and appeared on The Good Wife, for which he has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Satellite Award. Visit him on the Web at alancumming.com.

GRANT SHAFFER is an artist whose work has appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times, and Interview magazine, among others. He is the illustrator of Three Magic Balloons by Julianna Margulies and her father, Paul Margulies. He lives in Manhattan with his husband.

PreS-Gr 2—Honey and Leon, a rescue mutt and a Chihuahua who live in New York City's East Village, are sick and tired of their dads (fictional facsimiles of actor Cumming and his husband Shaffer) traveling so much for work. Not only are they lonely but they are also unable to perform their most important doggy duty: to "guard [their dads] and keep them out of danger." So when Honey and Leon discover that their dads will be going away again, the canines decide to take action. They hurriedly pack their suitcases (with such essentials as "just-in-case treats" and "emergency treats," as well as the disguises that will keep their dads from noticing them tagging along). Adults working their way through the second (or third or fourth) reading will appreciate the witty but occasionally too cutesy dialogue. The narrative meanders and could have benefited from stronger emphasis on the moments when the dogs help their dads avert danger (foiling a luggage thief, waking a drowsy yacht captain). However, the illustrations, with a light pastel color wash for the background—reminiscent of classics such as Madeline or Babar—give the story a refreshingly soothing mood and a timeless feel. VERDICT Like most celebrity children's books, this title breaks no literary ground, but the tale is complex enough to keep older readers' attention and sweetly silly enough to leave readers with a smile. An additional purchase.—Ann Santori, Cook Memorial Public Library, Libertyville, IL