HOT DOG
May 24, 2022

It’s summer in the city, and this hot dog has had enough! Enough of sizzling sidewalks, enough of wailing sirens, enough of people’s feet right in his face. When he plops down in the middle of a crosswalk, his owner endeavors to get him the breath of fresh air he needs. She hails a taxi, hops a train, and ferries out to the beach.

Here, a pup can run!

With fluid art and lyrical text that have the soothing effect of waves on sand, Hot Dog shows us how to find calm and carry it back with us so we can appreciate the small joys in a day.

"Set on one sizzling summer day, this remarkable slice-of-life story, a solo debut, stars a copper-hued, city-dwelling dachshund—the titular hot dog...vignettes capture the joy of companions who are utterly relaxed in the other’s presence...Salati makes smart use of the picture book format to craft a calming portrait of escape and renewal."  - Publishers Weekly, starred review  ​​​​​​​and PW Picture Book Summer Reads 2022​​​​​​​
"...choices Salati makes around composition and the vibrant palette communicate much of the book’s changing tone and heighten the story’s emotional impact. He populates these landscapes with eye-catching details and expressive characters. These are spreads for lingering over. Best of all, the two primary characters, the dog and its owner, endear themselves to readers." - Julie Danielson, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
"Salati’s illustrations are full of whimsy and soul...Hot Dog captures a much-needed summer excursion that readers will enjoy taking again and again." BookPage, June 2022 issue