Harriet Hound

Gr 1-4–The book’s first pages provide a full introduction to Harriet Hound. She’s eight years old, vegan, autistic, and her family owns an animal rescue in Australia. But Harriet also has secret superhero powers, gifted to her by her grandmother; with a twirl and a wish, she can summon those rescue animals into a magical bubble to help her solve problems in her community. In three stories, Harriet solves a mystery of garden vegetables gone missing, provides respite to her classmates caught in a storm, and helps a festival vendor locate misdirected packages. In each of these, the resolution created by the magic she invokes is an unnecessary plot device. Harriet’s real superpower is her heightened sensitivity to her surroundings, a marker for autism. Notable visual text characteristics are the placement of expressive words that appear on most pages in varying sizes, which may indicate internal expression of enthusiasm in an outwardly quiet character. Foster also uses lists in handwriting typeface to create visual interest and add useful information about animal ownership. Beer’s charming illustrations augment the narrative.