Milton Makes a Move
by Jonathan Graziano, Dan Tavis (Illustrator)
DETAILS:
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: August 4, 2026
Format: Hardcover
Length: 32 pg.
Read Date: August 24, 2026
Overthinking Things…
This post may come across as me slighting Graziano’s previous two books. At least that’s my fear. It should not be read in that way—Noodle and the No Bones Day and Noodle Conquers Comfy Mountain are delightful and charming books that I enjoyed and have read multiple times. Any comparisons between them and this should only serve to highlight how much I enjoyed and appreciated this book and how much I think Graziano has grown as a writer.
What’s Milton Makes a Move About?
As his legions of followers know, Graziano spent some time without a dog after Noodle, and then adopted Milton. This is his story about coming from Brazil to stay with his new person.
It’s framed as an adventure for the dog—full of travel, discovery, and learning to trust someone to take care of him (and taking care of him in return). It shows how Milton was brave to take on new challenges—even when scary things were happening around him (like thunderstorms).
Let’s Talk about the Art for a Minute
The art is just cute. Practically peak cuteness. I wish I could think of another word here, but that’s all that comes to mind.
Tavis gets to strut his stuff a little more in this book than in the Noodle books due to the differing personalities of the pugs. Milton likes being outside, playing with other animals (even if he should know better about some of them), he goes places, he moves a lot. And while Noodle may have done some of that, essentially he was a homebody, so there wasn’t a lot to do with him.
But we get to see Milton chase a skunk, play with bunnies, get close to a bear. Even inside the house, there’s more action to be found. And Tavis takes advantage of that and has a lot of fun—giving everyone who reads this (or reads it to someone) plenty to look at. When we see Milton on the airplane, I thought that was likely going to be the visual highlight of the book—but it wasn’t. The detail, the little bits of humor he scatters throughout the illustrations are just great.
So, what did I think about Milton Makes a Move?
The Noodle books focused on Noodle’s search for comfort, his patented “No Bones” days, and so on. This is about a younger pug exploring the new world around him—so it’s a different tone.
Not only that, but Graziano fills the book with a little more humor, some great descriptions, as well as some real sweetness.
When Milton is awakened during his first night in his new home by thunder, we’re told:
Alarmed, he let out a large BOOF. (A boof is like a woof, but quieter and more boof-like.)
“More boof like” just made me cackle. Anyone who’s had a small dog has a pretty good idea what that sound is like. It’s one I miss—if only because my larger dogs can’t be bothered with a small sound. I don’t think Graziano would’ve gone for something like that before, but he’s growing as an author and getting more confident. So he does some things like that.
I don’t know that all his adult fans will appreciate the feel of movement in this book—Noodle was about comfort and vibes, Milton’s about sweetness and play. But I see this book attracting more young readers than the previous did.
And even if I’m wrong—I had a great time reading this, and will enjoy doing so again. I hope we get several more books about Milton and his new friends.
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