"Here is a tale that warms the heart from top to bottom and back again. This is storytelling in all its glory."--Kathi Appelt, author of the Newbery Honor Book The Underneath
Description
A “wholly satisfying” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) novel in verse starring a boy, a lost dog, and a lonely old man, from Newbery Honoree Marion Dane Bauer
Mark is a boy who needs a dog. But he can’t get his mom on board with his plan.
Buddy is a dog who needs a boy. Buddy has an owner already, but not one who understands what a dog really needs.
Mr. LaRue is a neighbor who needs a community. He’s alone all the time in his huge old house—and everyone needs more than that.
Over the course of a summer thunderstorm and one chaotic town council meeting, these three characters cross paths and come together in a timeless tale ripe with emotions. They’ll realize they all need the same things: love, understanding, and a sense of belonging—plus a place to play a game of fetch!
Reviews
* "Wholly satisfying.... A perfect selection for pet lovers new to chapter books and anyone who just enjoys a cheerful dog story."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* “The rapid, immediate free verse will grab readers with first the longing and loneliness and then, on contrast, the boy and dog in bliss. Great for sharing with pet lovers.”--Booklist, starred review
“Marion Dane Bauer delicately showcases yearning in so many hearts, human and animal. Buddy, a female dog so named by her first owner because she was his buddy, loses one home and moves through another before emerging as a much-loved Ruby at the end. Telling the story in short poems, which highlight central characters, allows Bauer to make the story accessible to many different readers. The lines can dwell on Buddy's cute ears or the “eyes as blue as a Caribbean sea” of a lonely older man, or the wonderful dog-dominating skills of a cat named Fido. A great read-aloud.”
—Mary Harris Russell, Chicago Tribune
