Smithy and Me - by Darcy Day Zoells (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

"A humorous, all-too-familiar portrayal of bedtime hijinks." - Kirkus Reviews

Included in CBC's April Hot Off the Press reading list 2025!

My dog, Smithy, is the best playmate ever! We have so much fun together--whether he's winning at games, I'm coming out on top, or we're both making a mess. But Mom doesn't seem to mind. Or does she?

This charming book, perfect for dog lovers, is a sweet and funny celebration of the bond between a child and their dog. With relatable scenarios of an exhausted, working mom and a playful child, it captures the joy and messiness of their adventures and bond that ties them all together.

From the winner of Clavis' 2022 US Key Colors Competition, Darcy Day Zoells, Smithy and Me features emotion-provoking illustrations that beautifully complement the story.

A book full of imagination and fun, but also full of mess and mischief. For children ages 4 years and up.

Review Quotes

"A rambunctious but well-meaning child and dog make mess after mess.
As the evening unfolds, the young narrator provides deadpan comments focused on the little terrier's likes and dislikes ("Smithy doesn't like to share, but he loves tug of war because...he always wins"), while the illustrations depict the unspoken consequences of their activities (after the pair playfully fight over a toy, they knock over a vase and a table). Smithy joins the child in getting ready for bed, but he fears ghosts and the dark (a bedclothes tussle generates a pillow-feather storm). Each time the two get into mischief, the protagonist's preternaturally patient, busy mother hears suspicious sounds from the next room and calls, "What's going on in there?" The narrator's answer is always a meek "Nothing." When Mom sees the chaos, her saintly response is merely a quiet "Oh dear" or "Oh my" and a promise to tidy up. The roomful of feathers proves the last straw, however: Mom is just "too tired tonight" either to clean up or to read the usual story. But as the light flicks off, the child calls her back for a warm wordless hug. In the final spread, narrator and dog enjoy a story while Mom curls up alongside them, asleep. This extended joke will amuse and warm the heart; overworked parents will see themselves in exhausted Mom. Zoells' understated prose is accompanied by clear, clever, and delicately colored fine-line drawings depicting the humans as brown-skinned. A humorous, all-too-familiar portrayal of bedtime hijinks. (Picture book. 4-8)" - Kirkus Reviews

"Smithy the dog is a reliable companion for his unnamed child as they play tug-of-war, take baths,

and get ready for bed. Warm, gentle illustrations reveal that while they frolic, Mom is constantly

working on architectural drawings in her at-home office, a task she leaves just long enough to

clean up after the family's messy high jinks. There is an undercurrent of sadness in this tale, as

the child seems to be doing things with the dog that they wish their mom would do with them

instead--most notably at the end, when she says she "is just too tired tonight." So, the child

reads a bedtime story to Smithy as exhausted Mom sleeps beside them. There is no indication of

other family members, making their loving bedtime hug especially poignant. Caregivers may

recognize themselves in a parent who is stretched thin, but young readers will likely need help to

understand how keeping a household running is as much a sign of love as Smithy's playful

friendship." - Booklist

About the Author

Darcy Day Zoells graduated from Northwestern University where she studied art history and studio art. For ten years, she ran a visual literacy program in a K-5 school. She still feels passionate about helping children look critically and verbalize their questions about what they see. Her art history foundation and these experiences have had a profound effect on her work.