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A young girl named Mazie wonders how to find her missing dog, Noodle, in this imaginative children’s book. Mazie brainstorms the best way to seek Noodle and runs through a list of the adults she knows whose jobs would help in her search. Her first thought is of a police officer, but she realizes that someone might need to “doodle Noodle” first. Her mind turns to people she knows in various artistic careers. Mazie considers asking a baker, a painter, an artist, and a mosaic maker, all of whom she deems suitable for having the skills to draw her missing dog. Just as she realizes her father is also missing, he arrives, having just picked up a fresh-scented Noodle from the groomer.
Bright, cheerful illustrations accompany each of Mazie’s ideas throughout the story, and playful font changes on every page emphasize important ideas. The illustrations and text work together to celebrate each medium of the artists that Mazie remembers. Mazie’s thought process mirrors the brainstorming process, modeling its importance in and out of the art world. The writing style follows Mazie’s stream of consciousness as she imagines, but the plot is still simple and easy enough for toddlers and preschool children to follow. Young children will also enjoy the moments of cute, uncomplicated humor, such as when Mazie acknowledges that Noodle can be stinky. Mazie worries about where her father could be, but the story prevents any sense of crisis by showing him on the very next page. The story ends reassuringly with Mazie’s own doodle of Noodle: a portrait with her whole family reunited and smiling.