Johannes is a free dog living in the park. He is the eyes of the park for the bison, relaying the news of the park. But when he accidently steps into the notice of the humans by his fascination in the art exhibit and his rescue of a human child, he is on the most wanted list. Eventually he must find a way to move on f her wants to retain his freedom. - I really was not a fan of this title.

Just a boring read, with a most annoying canine narrator. Perhaps pick something for the younger audience written by someone who knows, writes and reads such books, because this sure doesn't feel like one.

What a wonderful tale of Johannes, the dog, who tells of living in a park with many other animals. The Bison, of which there are three, in the park have asked Johannes to be “The Eyes” in the park and report to them what is happening so that the animals can keep the park in equilibrium. That is how the reader learns about Johannes and how proud he is of the park, his ability to run very fast, and his powers of observation. He also has many friends (birds, squirrels, raccoons, etc.) who keep their eyes open for things going on in the park, and all is reported back to The Bison.

Several adventurous events happen to show how the animals work together to help each other. And then Johannes decides that The Bison need to be free, to go out of the park, and live where they are not fenced in. That is when "The Impossible" begins! All the animals are involved in The Plan, and work together to accomplish this monumental task. And what an exciting time it is!

From beginning to end, this is a wonderful book for young children up to middle grade. But I even loved it as an adult! The animals are wonderful and caring, and even funny. It is a great book, and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read it!

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Dave Eggers, and Alfred A. Knopf for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

This is such a serene and special book! I loved reading it and can imagine how much younger audiences will too. In particular, the dialogue was so charming and kept me captivated. I also really adored the dog named Johannes. He is a wonderful main character. The story is interesting and the writing is beautiful. This repeated part, especially:

God is the Sun.
Clouds are her messengers.
Rain is only rain.

Thank you Knopf Books for Young Readers, McSweeney's, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I read this book in one sitting, it was so good! Fans of One and Only Ivan, A Wolf Called Wander, and Pax will love The Eyes and the Impossible, told from the POV of Johannes, a dog who serves as the Eyes of a large city park. Abandoned there as a puppy, he has grown up wild and free, running very very fast to keep tabs on everything happening in the park so he can report back to the Elders, three elderly bison. He has friends who help him in their own unique ways: a seagull, a pelican, a raccoon, and a squirrel.
But as change comes to the park, and then a literal boatload of goats, Johannes begins to learn more about the world and himself, and what it means to be truly free.
The art in this book is gorgeous, as well as the prose, which truly captures Johannes' spirit.

Ooo I can be a tough sell on an animal book. But this one, I genuinely can’t wait to use this one in class as a class read aloud.

It’s is going to take a beat for me to sort out what worked so well exactly about this one. I think I especially enjoyed how much everydayness and adventure were woven in together in a way that properly transported me.

The friendships were everything.

I can see my kiddos who loved Wild Robot really enjoying this one and being taken someone new.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Johannes is a free dog who lives in the park, doing his brave duty of watching everything that goes on there and helping the bison achieve equilibrium. When animals are in trouble, they are helped, and when humans get a little too adventurous, the animals devise ways of pushing them back. But when a new building opens, one surrounded by art, Johannes becomes a little too enraptured with the vivid rectangles, and the park rangers notice a wild dog lurking about. But Johannes is a free dog, and he refuses to stay safe if it costs him his freedom. But how can he escape? What's more, how can he gift freedom to his friends?

Truly, this is a moving read. The animals are just a bit too clever for their own good, but they are, at heart, animals. The narration is convincing, and the story full of just enough zest to keep even young readers wanting to know more. I didn't so much like the callousness of some of the people and animals, but I can't deny that it's realistic. I also grabbed the audiobook to read along, and found the narrator to be well-equipped to handle Johannes's enthusiasm and thoughtfulness, although the howling is better read than heard. The illustrations are also gorgeous, coming in at surprising moments so readers can take a break from the action to appreciate the scenery. Overall, an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

What a delightful, jaunty read—and exquisitely-produced! The Eyes and the Impossible is a light-hearted, faster-than-light friend that readers will love.

Oh my goodness, this novel was amazingly beautiful, funny, and inspiring! I loved it! Reminded me very much of "Fox 8" by George Saunders. Eggers' book has the same type of lovable animal character in Johannes as does Saunders in Fox 8! The illustrations are beautiful as well. This is an amazing book, would expect nothing less from Dave Eggers!

Thanks so much for the ARC. I normally adore Eggers’ writing but struggled with this one. I will probably still buy a copy for my collection bc of the pictures, though.

It's such a soothing read! I adore Johannes as "The Eyes" and the other animals in this book. Johannes is really an admirable character. He is intelligent, compassionate, and always interested in new things. The writing style and illustrations are also really stunning. Their bond is so valuable that I wish I could have it all to myself.

Thank you to Netgalley and McSweeney's for providing the ARC.

Such an incredible children's book with so many completely profound life lessons pertaining to... well, just about everything. Done in such a way that it doesn't feel at all preachy or like it's even trying to change your life while it does exactly that. Johannes is one of my new favorite book characters of all times, and the way he sees the world and himself is inspiring.

The Eyes and the Impossible is about a dog named Johannes who is known as "The Eyes" and reports to a group of bison all that goes on in the park they all live in. I loved Johannes and all the other animal characters. Johannes and the other animals come up with a plan to free the bison from their enclosure, but have to contend with human intervention while they devise their plans, especially from people who keep trying to catch Johannes. My favorite part is the writing style, it's written from Johannes's POV and it really elevates what could have been a generic animal story and makes it fun and funny and delightfully strange.

It’s always fun to read something from the perspective of a dog. This dog makes his home in a local city park and you’ll be entertained by the company he keeps and the other characters that they encounter. It’s a nice story of friendship and observations.

This was a beautiful, gorgeous, lyrical book. It has humor and insight. I loved the Johannes the dog (also known as The Eyes) and Bertrand & Sonja (the bird and the squirrel).

This book is a love letter to E.B. White. It’s a love letter to art and nature. A love letter to going forth and taking risks. But it’s a hate letter to ducks (you will get this once you read it)

The Eyes and the Impossible is a soul soother of a book that I will pick up & read again for years to come. I will definitely be purchasing the special edition from McSweeney’s!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC of this book. I loved the story told by this character. We humans can learn a lot from the animals in this book.