Quincy and Oscar, by Kerry Millard

Oscar and his dog Quincy have a close bond – they do everything together. When Oscar and his family move to a new neighbourhood, it seems no one there has any time for a new boy or a new dog. When Oscar goes to school each day, he is all alone. And, at home, Quincy is alone, too.

Then Oscar decides to take Quincy to school for the day, so that ‘that way, all day, they could be together’. Sharing their day with each other turns into an experience of sharing with classmates, and eventually, the whole neighbourhood, and as the day draws to a close, both Quincy and Oscar have found places in the community.

This is a gorgeous book about friendship and about belonging. Millard has created a gentle story, and brought it to life with vibrant illustrations rendered in a combination of watercolour, crayon, pen and pencil. A favourite spread is that of the pair walking to school, with one line of text – ‘Oscar and Quincy walked to school’, followed by a series of six illustrations showing their progress down the street, as a neighbour, the postman, a cat, a dog and a bird join their walk.

Heart-warming.

Quincy and Oscar, by Kerry Millard
ABC Books, 2006