I almost was not going to write up Lou by Breanna Carzoo. Then I said, I would write it up with Two Dogs by Ian Falconer. I did not, because I figured even though they have both have dogs doing what dogs do to plants and in the case of Lou, fire hydrants, it was a stretch to connect them.
And yes, my dear reader, you read it right. Fire hydrant. Or as Lou calls themselves, a toilet. We even have Carzoo showing us the yellow stains all over the body of Lou. Now, Lou knows this is an important job. Dogs gotta go when they gotta go. They line up, day in and day out. They dance, twirl and finally, lift. This everyday occurrence is making Lou down. They know they were meant for something greater! Grander! Deep down there is more to them than being a neighborhood doggie toilet.
As Lou monologues their distress, in the minimalistic illustrations of Carzoo, we see something is going on in the background. Could it be that Lou (and we the reader) will learn that yes, Lou is right, and there is more than being (okay, I will say it) a “pee-pee palace”?
You love Lou or you do not. There is really no middle ground. The artwork is almost an old school feeling, with a modern hint now and again. I was almost expecting a modernized Richard Scary looking character to walk by in the background. While not for all people, most kids will get a kick out of how an ordinary fire hydrant can become a superhero and save the day, by just being themselves.