BulankinaKa’s art is beautifully expressive while remaining clean and simple to follow. The bright and vivid colours are eye catching and are sure to be appealing to children. Sommer’s text is likewise, packing an emotional weight in a short space. Together they highlight the joy of Pepper and the girl’s life together, made bittersweet by her realisation that they’re only going to have a little time together. 

It is sweet and heartwarming to watch her learn the joys of fostering even when it means having to say good bye to Pepper. Her coming to terms with the loss and her ways of finding meaning in her work with fostering is lovely. And the book delivers this message of loving and letting go in such a reassuring and gentle way for its young readers. 

I appreciate the inclusion at the end of a short walkthrough of the foster process. It goes beyond the scope of the story and providing insight into the process is a nice touch for its readers to be able to discuss. 

My one criticism is that the blurb makes it sound like the focus is going to be on Pepper when it’s the unnamed girl. Pepper being the sole character on the cover reinforces this. It’s a strong story on its own merit but I do have a pet peeve for books that mislead audience expectation. Even so Foster’s Leash is an informative introduction to fostering while still being an emotional and uplifting story that’s easy to read.
Thanks to iRead Book Tours and Sarah Sommer. I leave this review voluntarily.