THE ANGEL KNEW PAPA AND THE DOG

McKelvey's first children's story is a small jewel. It is narrated by Evangeline (although readers don't know her name until the last line of the book), age seven, who lives a simple but satisfying life with her father in a remote log cabin, until the gentle rhythm of their days is ripped apart by a flood. He is swept downstream, leaving her stranded in the house with water rising fast through the floorboards. That's when she sees the angel. Calmed by its presence, Evangeline finds the wherewithal to hang on until, with the aid of a mule, a faithful old dog, and a woman in a rowboat, she is rescued and reunited with her father. Through careful attention to everyday details, McKelvey builds Evangeline's credibility. She notices things: the way a dog laps up its dinner, the way a mule twitches its ears. When she sees an angel, readers will be ready to believe her. The graceful language only appears simple; there is a disarming precision in the text, and every word belongs exactly where it has been placed. A lovely tale about the mysteries of love and faith. (Fiction. 8-12)