- a brother (10) & sister (9) spend months looking for their stolen puppy
- many amusing parts help lift readers out of the few sad parts
- convo: Santa mentioned, Easter Bunny mentioned, a witch mentioned twice, some brief mentions of mistreatment toward the dog, “signs and omens” mentioned once, tobacco/smoking mentioned
- language: x3 Shucks
Type: chapter book
Ages: 7-10
Author: Eleanor Estes
My kids and I listened to the audiobook of this one, and it was good! The main characters are delightfully developed and likable. The dog, a fox terrier, is “the smartest dog ever” and you might have kiddos asking you for one, too. 😉
It’s pretty obvious to the readers whom they should suspect for the theft of their puppy, which adds to that “groan” feeling you get when your book’s characters are missing the obvious. Ha!
If you happen to have a bird lover in your home, they’ll be doubly pleased with the book as the father is a bird expert and the daughter an aspiring one. Not to be outdone, there is also a pet cat that has fewer scenes but is still amusing in her own way.
I can happily recommend this wholesome story–it would make a great read-aloud!
See related reviews:
Pinky Pye
The Moffats