Review of "Finding Chrissy" by Crystal Hoban, Illustrated by Anthony Richichi

Score: 93+/100 (9.3+ out of 10)

What happens when a frightened rescue dog and a lonely human find exactly what they need in each other? In this tender story, the answer is not just love, but patience, safety, and the slow miracle of trust.

Anyone who has bonded with a pet or an animal can relate to this story.
Anyone who has found comfort in a pet or an animal during a dark or troubling time can relate to this story.

Finding Chrissy: A Rescue Tale of Love and Belonging is a tender picture book about a red hound dog who is abandoned, traumatized, and deeply fearful of people until she is rescued and eventually meets Crystal, who gives her the patience, gentleness, and consistency she needs to finally feel safe.

The story follows Chrissy from neglect and instability to trust, companionship, and joy, showing how love is not built through one big dramatic gesture, but through everyday care: walks, cuddles, reassurance, play, and simply being there again and again.

What makes Crystal such an effective emotional anchor for this book is that she is not presented as some perfect, magical fixer who solves everything overnight. In fact, the story quietly suggests that she needs Chrissy too. Crystal has struggled with loneliness and making friends herself, which gives their bond a lovely sense of mutual healing. She does not "save" Chrissy through force or instant transformation. She earns Chrissy’s trust the hard way, through patience, consistency, and compassion, even when Chrissy is anxious, destructive, or waking up from bad dreams in the middle of the night. That makes Crystal feel less like a stock children's-book heroine and more like the kind of safe, steady person who changes a life simply by showing up and staying.

This story is structurally very similar to some of Saratoga Springs Publishing's other adorable, heartwarming children's books like Where Are You, Alfie? by Mary Jean DeSantis, Lucky's Adventure by Elizabeth Macy, and Puppy Comes Home by Diane Capogna, all of which were illustrated by the prolific Anthony Richichi! All of these books explore and celebrate the bonds between humans and their four-legged friends.

From a story and character point of view, this book is most like the story of Po, the rescue cat from Santa, Elves, and Magical Bells by Julie Chapman, illustrated by Richichi. Both are found and rescued from abandoned houses, elevating the lives of their owners and bringing joy to their households.

This book is very easy for kids to follow. It's a lot less wordy than other similar works, and it flows relatively well.

One thing that helps is the parallel structure between Chrissy (the dog) and Crystal (the human). You can really tell that they are similar characters in parallel circumstances. You can really tell that they help complete each other, filling gaps that were otherwise there. It's never confusing in that sense.

It also helps that similar ideas area carried forward and built upon. For example, Chrissy faces new yet understandable challenges like dealing with a foster parent with loud music that startles her, dealing with a foster parent with a wild kid who chases and scares her, and dealing with a foster parent with a much bigger, intimidating dog.

One thing that also needs to be applauded is how this book doesn't just give us one big generic happy ending in which Chrissy is adopted and everything is sunshine and rainbows (i.e "perfect"). Yes, Chrissy licks Crystal's tears away in one of the books best scenes and illustrations, but Chrissy is also still a doggy, and doggies sometimes do doggy things like knock stuff over, dig up the yard, chew up furniture, and find ways to make a mess! That's illustrated and presented in a humorous and charming way.

Check it out on Amazon!