An enterprising young dog survives in the wild, is mistreated by a terrible master, then finds a loving home. In remarkably consistent style, the author of many other carefully observed nature-oriented books (including the novel Marsh Cat, 1991) gets readers to identify with a lop-eared, homeless pup. ``Lop,'' part yellow Labrador, and her brothers are left to fend for themselves in the woods when their mother dies. She soon discovers her affinity for water and the tastiness of frogs. The pups wander apart; Lop learns what to eat (crickets are a favorite), how to stay warm, what animals to avoid. She befriends a fox family and lives with them until a farmer and his son smoke them out; though the boy wants to keep Lop, his father takes her to a shelter. A junkyard man, dog owner from hell, claims her; she escapes, and after an idyll back in the woods is rediscovered by the boy and accepted into his family. What might in other hands be trite and predictable becomes a heroic journey here--told realistically from the dog's point of view, with creature comforts paramount but human affection mighty important. Young people will treasure identifying with the dog, as well as experiencing the rich perceptions of nature in this simple, profound tale. Occasional elegant full-page drawings. (Fiction. 8+)
