Toasty

Book excerpt: The deliciously funny tale of a piece of bread who wants to be a dog-- perfect for fans of Arnie the Doughnut by Laurie Keller and Everyone Loves Bacon by Kelly DiPucchio. Toasty loves dogs--so much so that he'd like to be one. He knows there are some differences--most dogs have four legs, but Toasty has two arms and two legs. Some dogs sleep in dog houses, but Toasty sleeps in a toaster. All dogs have hair and fur, but Toasty has neither because he's made of bread. In spite of these differences, he decides to go to the park to play with the dogs-- but they don't want to play, they want to eat him! Lucky for Toasty, he is rescued by a little girl who has always wanted a dog but can't have one because she is allergic. It turns out Toasty is the perfect dog for her. Sarah Hwang's inspiration for Toasty came from her childhood experience as an immigrant and her discovery that you find your best friends when you're willing to just be yourself. Her playful art for Toasty came to mind when she saw a piece of toast that reminded her of the way she used to draw dogs as a child.