How Smudge Came Paperback – Jan. 14 2003 by Nan Gregory  (Author), Ron Lightburn (Illustrator)
 
In the home where Cindy lives, no dogs are allowed, so she must bundle puppy up when she goes to work as a cleaning woman in the Hospice. One patient is so blind with illness that he can barely see the dog; it looks like a smudge.
But, oh, how nice to hold the puppy. What is Cindy to do? How will she care for Smudge?
How Smudge Came was made into an award winning television movie and became an international best seller.
 
From Amazon
Few children will be able to resist this moving story of a lost puppy rescued by a young woman with Down's syndrome. Cindy lives in a group home, working during the day as a cleaner in a hospice. At first Cindy carefully hides the puppy in her apron, and a young resident, nearly blind, hears something whimpering. Cindy puts the puppy in his hands and asks if he can see it. "Not really. Just a smudge in the dark." It isn't long before Smudge is discovered by the people at the group home and sent off to the animal shelter. Cindy's resourceful and determined attempt to get Smudge back appears doomed until the touching surprise ending.
How Smudge Came deservedly won several major awards, including the Mr. Christie's Book Award for best Canadian children's book. The joy of life that Smudge inspires complements Gregory's empathetic and convincing portrayal of Cindy's mental disability and the residents of the hospice. The story is blunt at times, and the description of one patient, "ugly with disease and... going to die," may even be upsetting to some young readers. But Ron Lightburn's softly lit illustrations, done in coloured pencil on heavily textured paper and reminiscent of the pointillist paintings of Georges Seurat, bathes the story in a gentle ambience. (Ages 5 to 8) --Martha Johnson
 
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