We Match!

by Chris Barton, Sharon Glick (illustrator)

In this hilarious dog book for kids, New York Times-bestselling author Chris Barton introduces social emotional learning and math concepts in a fun comics-style picture book format.

Humor and high-energy abound as a lovable bunch of dogs discover what they have in common during an action-packed day at the dog park.

An afternoon of mixing and matching is underway at the dog park as dogs gleefully discover the qualities that make them similar. Some love to play with balls, others prefer chasing squirrels. Some like wet food, others prefer kibble. Some like to wear sweaters, others to destroy them . . . As endless Venn diagrams of connection are shaped and reshaped, the dogs find that they may have more in common than they think!

Here's an entertaining comics-style picture book that will visually introduce kids ages 4 to 8 to math concepts, and encourage them to seek connections with their peers—even if they aren’t immediately visible.

Genres: Picture Books, Dogs, Animals, Childrens

40 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 15, 2025

About the author

I'm the author of picture books including WE MATCH! (2025), bestseller SHARK VS. TRAIN, Sibert Honor-winning THE DAY-GLO BROTHERS, and WHOOSH! LONNIE JOHNSON'S SUPER-SOAKING STREAM OF INVENTIONS, which has been celebrated on 21 state reading lists.

Other well-known titles of mine include 88 INSTRUMENTS, HOW TO MAKE A BOOK (ABOUT MY DOG), FIRE TRUCK VS. DRAGON, DAZZLE SHIPS, THE AMAZING AGE OF JOHN ROY LYNCH, and WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A VOICE LIKE THAT?

My newest books include GLITTER EVERYWHERE! WHERE IT CAME FROM, WHERE IT'S FOUND & WHERE IT'S GOING (one of National Public Radio's "Books We Love" for 2023) and MOVING FORWARD: FROM SPACE-AGE RIDES TO CIVIL RIGHTS SIT-INS WITH AIRMAN ALTON YATES (a School Library Journal Best Book of 2022).

I visit schools by the score and also love speaking to professional gatherings of librarians, educators, and fellow writers.

I'm married to middle-grade/YA novelist Jennifer Ziegler (WORSER, HOW NOT TO BE POPULAR). Jennifer and I have four adult children and one dog, and we co-host the children’s literature video series “This One’s Dedicated to…” in which we talk with other authors and illustrators about the dedications they’ve written for their books.

Jennifer and I live in Austin, where I serve as vice president of the Texas Institute of Letters, a 501(c)(3) non-profit honor society founded in 1936 to celebrate Texas literature and to recognize distinctive literary achievement.

For more information about me, please visit www.chrisbarton.info or linktr.ee/bartography.

Reviews

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful picture book full of happy dogs and an important message about the connections we all have to one another if we will just stop and look for them.

A day at the dog park brings a duo of matching pups to the park to play with a host of other canines. As each one joins the pair, they discover common interests in how they like to play, what they like to play and more. The playful pups mix it up throughout the day and demonstrate how easy it is to find connections between them providing a kid-friendly way to guide listeners to seeing the truth in their own school, neighborhood, church and community groups. On top of all this great SEL material, Sharon Glick’s illustrations are fantastic and include detailed, fun dog “trading cards” on the end papers!

Perfect for a first day of school, meet your classmates read aloud with follow up activities to help kids search out similarities among them. Target ages: preschool through grade 3.

[June Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun!

Even better, amidst the laughs at the doggie antics and full-of-activity illustrations, it has a message. We may all be different in appearance but we're also alike in, oh, so many ways. Join this lively, playful bunch of dog park dogs and discover ways we're alike. In the process, you'll probably find lots to grin and chuckle over, from the baseball player style cards that intro us to the dogs to the activity that goes on in the background behind the focus of attention. Make sure you take the time to look at the full illustrations, in other words, as there is lots going on. You'll see diverse humans, including at least one in a wheelchair, and one dog owner that I can't quite decide if is on skates or simply being dragged along by his enthusiastic dog in a full out run. Make sure you spot the duck. And, wait till you see their new friend at the end.

Done in comic style with the dogs being the ones to provide the dialogue, there's a lot to take in as you read. I have to admit to going back through the story a couple extra times after my initial read focused on the text simply to make sure I hadn't missed any nuances. I enjoyed every go-through and, yes, found something going on each time that I'd either totally missed or skimmed over initially. Children can spend some enjoyable moments trying to make sure they see everything. I also liked the careful way the illustrator made the park a safe place to enter, with an entrance design I've seen used at the dog walk area at my own vet's. There's even a sign about cleaning up after your dog, a nice touch. The illustrations are just plain fun, with colorful scenes that encompass everything from dogs and their humans arriving at the park to some unexpected encounters. Each dog has its own look at personality, further developed even at the end with the use of what would be the back of the player/dog cards shown early on. You'll learn not just the dogs' ages and breeds but other bits of info about them there. Button is Player of the Year, by the way. Grin.

Bottom line, I thoroughly enjoyed this fun book. As the dogs go through what becomes a ritual of discovering what they all have in common, from not just appearance but such things as, well, the obvious "Throw the ball!" and what would be one of my dog's favorites, enjoying chasing squirrels, plus things she wouldn't like, like wearing coats and costume type get-ups. to things about where they met their owners and more. They are all friends, too. It's be great fun to lead children in a round of this, I'd think, as laughter and hopefully understanding would be forthcoming and help us learn to be more open to others who might appear different on the surface. Thanks #AstraPublishingHouse for sharing this fun read early with me. I'll definitely be sharing it with my dog-loving friends.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone meets at the dog park and together they investigate all the ways that different puppers are ALIKE. They all look different but that's not what matters to them or should matter to people!
The illustrations by Sharon Glick are imaginative and tell much of the story with SUCH a variety of puppers.
Well suited for reading alone or WITH someone of any age, including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, but especially to a school, waiting room, or your local public library! It really does look better in print.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital Galley on Thorium PDF from Astra Publishing House | Astra Young Readers via NetGalley. Pub Date Jul 15, 2025 @astrakidsbooks
#WeMatch by Chris Barton @bartographyatx illustrated by @glicksharon, @childrensbookcouncil @goodreads #kidsbook #picturebookart #kidlit #picturebook #illustration #childrensbooks #imagination #howarewealike #Bookbub #goodreads #librarything

[Shan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really fun book that is full of many little twists and turns that keeps readers engaged from start to finish. However, I think that there is one little wording choice that could be altered a little bit.
Using the term "we match!" repetitively was a great touch, but I don't think "matching" fits perfectly. I liked how the dogs slowly realized that you might have more in common with others than you might think, you just have to look beneath the surface. That being said, I think "match" would fit more with visual and superficial things. It might be a bit clunky, but I think it would make more sense for the author to use words like common or similar.
Although, that was the only thing that I didn't care for (as much) in this book. Everything else was great! The idea, the patterns, the illustrations, the examples...all of it! All in all, I had a lot of fun reading this book, and I know that little kids will, too!

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

We Match! is the perfect title for readers who love dogs and understand their antics. Trying to figure out how these pups match is fun for visual learners, as they find subtle details and clues such as the importance of sharing balls, chasing squirrels, selecting the perfect dog meal, and of course the need for using fire hydrants vs bushes.

The illustrations of the dogs showing off their tricks, as well as how they all match in different ways will make sense to dog lovers. I hope there's a sequel to this fun graphic novel dog book, young readers will love it! We Match! perfectly depicts the personality of all kinds of dogs humorously.

I'm a huge fan of Chris Barton, and noticed my elementary library students love his books, such as: Day-Glo Brothers, Whoosh!, Dazzle Ships:World War I and the Art of Confusion, and Shark vs Train. Kids will find this funny tale a hilarious read and beg for sequels, if they have or are begging for a dog.

[Ollie Skyba · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not really a dog person—but I do have a soft spot for them, especially when they’re as full of character as in this book! It’s genuinely funny to see how the author (and illustrator) give each dog unique, human-like quirks that make them feel instantly familiar.

The story takes place in a dog park, but it oddly reminded me of a preschool classroom—where kids search for a “match” among their classmates based on hilariously random things like “I don’t like strawberries either” or “astronauts are scary.” A charming and humorous take on connection and personality, no matter the species!

Thanks NetGalley for ARC.

[Annie Brechbuhler · Rating 3 out of 5]

We Match! is a comic book style picture book that explores how dogs can "match" by their shared interests, rather than their outward appearance. The story takes place at a dog park, where various dogs of all shapes and sizes interact. The book has a couple of more difficult words (I.e. aficionado) that would make it harder for beginning readers, but the book overall would be appropriate for K-2.

Thank you to Astra Publishing House and NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual, humans would be wise to take a cue from the dogs - no matter what our differences, we can always find something that makes us match.

Join the fun as dogs at the park discover what makes them all similar. Laid out in graphic novel format, Barton's illustrations are busy, and packed with fun details that will keep kids coming back to read this one again.

Thanks to NetGalley and Astra Young Readers for sharing.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was interesting. We have one dog who’s acting like a telecaster. Like they are giving the rundown of the events at the dog park. Things that they like to do and things that make them the same, but also how they make them different. It’s in a graphic novel format, which seems a little odd at first but does Itself well to the story. Overall, this was a book. I think many kids will find fun.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling story of how many ways we can “match” someone else if we look beyond the surface. We might have more in common with someone than we first believe if we care to investigate a little. Good choice for a library or classroom.

[Jessica Romigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun story set at a dog park that talks about how we can all find common ground with one another. But of course... with dogs! The story is cute and I also loved the back where it describes each of the dogs in the book with their likes, dislikes, etc.

[Amethyst Maxey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for the ARC. This was written as comic book style which I don’t typically care for but the illustrations were great. It had a good message about our differences and similarities.

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would be purchasing this for a two year old. I think the target audience would be older. It is in cartoon format which did not hold her attention.
I received this galley from NetGalley.

[B-Worm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great way to teach children how we don't need to agree (match) on everything, all the time, to get along. Sometimes "we match" and sometimes we don't, but all the time we can be friendly.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clever concept getting at the point that we all have more in common than we may at first believe. However, I struggled to follow the art, which I found too busy.

[Marsha Casner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much for this book. It is adorable and the illustrations of the dogs are superb. I would highly recommend this book for the little ones in your life.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great concept, but I found the format and illustrations hard to follow.

[Megan Sanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet way to think about the different things one can have in common with others beyond appearances

[Rhiannon Sallie · Rating 5 out of 5]

We Match! was a cute story about how just because you might not look the same doesn't mean you cant match.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
Are all dogs the same? Do they match? This book explores the connections or matching between the many breeds visiting the dog park.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of confusing but the dogs are cute

[Shavon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book difficult to get into with the kiddos at first but as it went on, they liked finding matches! The dogs were cute but for my little reader they had trouble with the flow!


I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital Galley on Thorium PDF from Astra Publishing House | Astra
Young Readers via NetGalley. Pub Date Jul 15, 2025