The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

I picked up this book because I thought it would be a sweet animal story that I "had" to read because it won a Newbery Medal and was a National Book Award Finalist. This IS an animal tale, but the story is not sappy or simplistic. It is deep, complex, and delves into what it means to be lonely, what it means to love, and what it means to keep promises. The story is lyrically told and demands to be read aloud.