Delivering suspenseful storytelling, colorful and believable characters, and a deeply moving tribute to canine loyalty, this...
A small city dog, lost in the rugged backcountry of Vermont, relates his eventful struggle to find his way home.
In the same league as Ann M. Martin’s touching novel A Dog’s Life, this beautifully observant story, told from the point of view of a bighearted Chihuahua, will stay with canine-loving readers long after the tale is finished. A sequel to the New York–based Little Deer’s (Little Tramp, 2014) first book—both inspired by his real-life dog companion—the YA novel begins when the Chihuahua is uprooted from his contented life in a New York City apartment. The dog, named Tobi, travels with his beloved human, Ted, to northern Vermont for a summer on the family farm. Tobi is confused and bereft when one day Ted is gone, unaware that he will be traveling and can’t take the canine along. Ted’s gruff dad doesn’t help, banning Tobi from the house and forcing him to share farm dog Rex’s quarters. A tragic loss and other incidents periodically bring Ted back, but he always leaves Tobi behind when he departs again. The pooch suffers but gradually adjusts, finding comfort with gentle Rex and Ted’s grandmother until, caught up in the thrill of a dog pack’s wild deer hunt, he is lost in the woods. Danger, refuge, companionship, and a hint of uncanny mystery follow as Tobi encounters memorable animals and people during his monthslong ordeal. Tobi’s internal dialogue (he doesn’t speak with other animals) has a compelling authenticity, encompassing eloquent ponderings about the bond between humans and dogs, canine devotion, and forgiveness—and the awakening of his own ancestral memory. Driven to join in the howls of a pack of Native American sled dogs one night, he observes: “I was carried into timeless moonlit wilderness, and I, too, became a wild thing.” The novel’s rural, woodsy, and lakeside setting, described from Tobi’s perspective, is vividly detailed in sights, sounds, and smells. Little Deer (a pen name) seamlessly connects the intersecting stories of all his well-drawn characters, both human and animal, with a poignant thread—keep the tissues handy.
Delivering suspenseful storytelling, colorful and believable characters, and a deeply moving tribute to canine loyalty, this tale should resonate with dog lovers of any age.Pub Date: Feb. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-949596-00-7
Page Count: 312
Publisher: Tobi Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.
Willenbrock’s heartwarming debut picture book is the autobiographical story of how she came to share her home with a special shelter dog.
Told from the perspective of Marshall, Willenbrock’s dog, this tale tells of his unpleasant life in the home of a dog hoarder, where food for the dogs was so scarce that they fought each other at mealtime. In one of these fights, Marshall’s front leg was broken and his face was badly bitten. When animal rescuers finally found out about the animal hoarder and took the dogs away, Marshall was in such sorry shape that they didn’t know if he would make it. He ended up losing his damaged front leg and his face remained badly scarred, yet he describes the compassion of the humane society workers who helped him learn how to walk and run on three legs. He meets his new “mom” (owner) and adjusts to a life of freedom with her and her other dog, Mooshy. Though life is good, Marshall is insecure and nervous about how other dogs and people will react to the fact that he has only three legs and a big scar on his face, but he’s pleasantly surprised by the kindness of others. Heimbaugh’s realistic colored-pencil illustrations help bring Marshall’s story to life. Due to wordiness and the use of some bigger words—celebrity, socialize, limitations—this book will most likely work better as a read-aloud with school-age children. It also lends itself to discussions about the humane treatment of animals and discussions about bullying.
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0615666259
Page Count: 40
Publisher: The Marshall Movement
Review Posted Online: Oct. 9, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.
Three friends unravel old secrets lurking beneath the surface of a picture-perfect town in this young adult mystery.
Fallon and her best friend, Blair, live in the town of Whitford, a “sort of old fashioned” place where “everyone knows everyone else.” Nothing ever goes wrong there, except for local 16-year-old girls’ penchant for drowning in Whitford Pond on their 16th birthdays. That is, nothing ever goes wrong until Blair, Fallon and their new friend Lila start investigating the drownings as part of a history project. Soon after the girls paddle out to the spooky island at the middle of the pond where its victims are buried, Fallon discovers that she’s related to the pond’s first victim: Elizabeth Mason, who was engaged to the prosperous son of the town jeweler before her supposed suicide in 1750. By poking around the town historical society and badgering Fallon’s lively grandmother, Nana, the girls realize that something sinister lurks beneath Whitford’s bucolic surface. It’s only when the trio heads to the fourth floor of Whitford’s public library in search of A Genealogy of the Noble Families of Whitford: A History that they realize their quest is putting them in danger. Blair and Fallon’s friendship feels comfortable and credible, although the addition of “exotic” Lila seems like a strained plot device rather than a real-life event. Indeed, much of the plotting is convenient rather than clever; the girls’ discoveries primarily result from pushing Nana to give them information or snooping around Nana’s house—and the developments that aren’t related to Nana are foreshadowed so heavily that they come as no surprise. Another distraction: Every time that the inhabitants of Whitford scream or emphasize a turn of phrase, Fredo uses capital letters. They’re are unnecessary, for example, when Fallon says, “I JUST HAD THE BEST IDEA EVER!”
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 172
Publisher: iUniverse
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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