Ask a Bookseller: 'The Eyes and the Impossible'

This week, the Newbery Award for Children’s Literature went to Dave Eggers for his middle grade novel “The Eyes and the Impossible.”

Greg Danz of Zandbroz Variety in Fargo, N.D., adds his hearty recommendation to the list, calling it a wonderful book for the whole family.

The main character in the novel is a dog named Johannes who lives in a community of animals in a seaside park where humans come and go. Johannes is a good dog, the fastest dog there is — “though my dog disputes that,” jokes Danz.

Johannes serves as the eyes of the park, and he reports all goings-on to the elders, who are bison. Humans think the park is for them, and they visit there to view nature. As the park grows popular, humans' increased presence creates worries and problems for the animals.

Danz calls the book a fun, fast-paced story about community that will get the whole family talking.

He wants readers to know that there are two versions of the printed book available. There’s the typical hardcover published by Penguin Random House, and there’s also a wood-bound hardcover edition simultaneously released by McSweeney’s, where Dave Eggers is editor. That version boasts a dye-cut wood cover and full-sized illustrations that Danz says are sure to draw in young readers.