“My name is Scout. I am a good dog.” Voiced by Travis Baldree, Scout introduces himself–and not just as any dog. In this animated adaptation of Laura Ljungkvist’s children’s book, I Love Vincent, Scout the seeing eye dog tells viewers all about how he helps his blind owner, Vincent.
Produced and directed by Andy T. Jones, I Love Vincent brings Ljungkvist’s illustrations to life. Characterized by line and grid patterns and a lovely blue/red color scheme, animations show all the places Scout and Vincent visit in one day. Scout takes us through all of his duties as a guide dog. He makes sure everything stays where it belongs, so Vincent always knows where everything is. He picks things up that Vincent drops and cannot find. He even helps his owner cross the street. What would be a scary process without a seeing eye dog becomes easy with Scout’s loving guidance.
The story focuses on Scout’s narration, but sound effects from cars, footsteps, and soothing background music give this adaptation some added texture. I Love Vincent is a sweet story of a man and his dog. It instructs in simple terms, so that young children can easily understand the purpose of a guide dog. Additionally, Scout’s and Vincent’s love for each other is sure to resonate with animal lovers. An excellent purchase for children’s library shelves and for library shelves spotlighting protagonists with disabilities. Highly recommended. Aud: K, E.