 On Hal’s tenth birthday, he receives a dog that he calls Fleck from Easy Pets. He knows they will be friends for life. But no one tells him that Easy Pets is a rent-a-pet agency and that Fleck has to be returned. Hal and his friend Pippa run away to his grandparents with a pack of escapee dogs from Easy Pets. On their cross country adventures, they meet up with a circus, a detective, greedy adults, and wonderful friends. This light, fun story about Hal and his dog, loyalty, and determination has a happy ending. All of the dogs find the right owners to belong to. mjw |
| Title: One Dog And His Boy Author: Eva Ibbotson Publisher: Scholastic Press Copyright: 2012 Original language: English ISBN: 978-0-545-35196-6 Hardcover pages: 288 Age range: 8 up Genre: Fiction Author’s ethnicity: Austrian Author’s residence: England Subjects: Dogs, England, Europe, Family life, Human-animal relationships, London, Voyages and travels, Western Europe |
One Dog And His Boy
Leave a reply
In 1943, when his older brother joins the army, 12 year-old Linus Muller, takes over the delivery job in his family’s grocery store in Manhattan. He befriends an eccentric customer, Mr Orange, who always orders a crate of oranges and is based on the Dutch painter, Piet Mondrian. They discuss the war, music, art, comic books and superheroes, and imagination. This is a first-rate historical novel about the artist and Linus Muller’s changing perception of the war. An afterword offers facts about Mondrian’s work and years in New York City. Further Resources for reading, watching on the Internet, and viewing Mondrian’s art in museums are also included. mjw
Malik, a boy in a wheelchair, does batter with other kites in the Basant festival from his rooftop in Lahore, Pakistan. With Falcon, his specially built-for-speed kite, he captures many kites including two flown by the bully next door. His good natured spirit shines through when the bully takes a young girl’s kite and Malik, as king for the day, helps the girl. Cut paper, yarn, Pakistani fabric, ribbon and pencil sketch collage illustrations from varying perspectives provide a kite’s eye view of the festival. A pronunciation guide and an afterword about the celebration of Basant are included in the book, and a teacher’s guide is available on the 
Kato, a young Ugandan boy, carries two jerrry cans of water every day from the village well to his family. He passes cattle fields, soldiers standing guard, and an aid worker’s truck that is filled with colorful shoes. He finds a white poppy in the field and trades it for brand new shoes. The poppy is a symbol of peace and goodwill. Bright, geometric digital collage pictures provide a snapshot of Kato’s war-torn village life. mjw
Death, a cute, robe-clad skull figure bearing a deep red tulip, comes to visit Duck in this quiet and strange picture book. They develop an unusual, but beautiful friendship. At the pond, Death gets chilled, and Duck comforts him. They climb a tree. Duck wonders about dying and the afterlife. She is not afraid. In the end, Duck dies and Death gently lays the tulip on her. Surrealistic mixed-media artwork and deadpan humor extend the tender treatment of this difficult topic. mjw
Nine-year-old Sophie accompanies her dad, the captain of an ice breaker, on a month-long journey to Mawson Station in Antarctica. Her diary is packed with facts about the South Pole’s early explorers, Antarctic animals, and life in an Antarctic research station. Endpapers with detailed maps; photographs of icebergs and sunsets; diagrams of the ship; and student paintings from Kids Antarctic Art, a traveling exhibition of children’s interpretations of the continent, reveal the wonder of Antarctica through a little girls eyes. A glossary is included. This book is based on the author’s own six-week excursion on the Aurora Australis. mjw
Adolescent Helene has been ostracized by girls who had once been her friends. They scribble insults on the school walls and snicker about her on the bus. Her escape is Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. When she goes on a camping trip with her class, she discovers an amazing red fox and a new friend, Geraldine. The mixed-media illustrations alternate between Helene’s sad, black-and-white world and Jane Eyre’s bold colorful English countryside. Helene’s world changes as she learns that she is worthy of friendship. mjw
Young Pedru, who lives in the village of Madune in Mozambique, loses his arm when a lion attacks him. As he recovers, he strengthens his drawing talent and his desire for revenge. He accompanies his father on a lion hunt and mistakenly kills a lion wearing a tracking collar. This leads him to a conservation research center where he learns to look at the relationship between lions and farmers in a different way. Black and white illustrations and simple language convey Pedru’s story. Helpful footnotes explain African flora and fauna. An afterward, “Living with Lions,” contains factual notes and information about the Niassa Carnivore Project of Mozambique. This book is the first in a series of books which combine real animals and conservation in fictional stories. mjw
Every morning, Igor has the flock of geese goose-stepping down to the pond. Poor little Zita is out of step and Igor kicks her out of the parade. Zita sets her own rhythmic pace and soon has all the other animals in the French farmyard following her be-bop beat. Comic, cartoon-like animals with expressive faces are painted in chalky colors. The endpapers show goose dance step floor patterns. mjw
This whimsical collection of twelve poems by the famous Dutch author, first published sixteen years after her death, tells of a fairy tale writer who draws from his pond of ink, furniture that comes to life, three greedy robbers who steal the mood, and cleanliness-hating Belinda. The bouncing meter, rollicking rhyme, clever wordplay and zany characters are reminiscent of Silverstein and Prelutsky. Bold expressive mixed-media artwork has a retro look. mjw
Geoffrey the gangly giraffe has trouble making friends due to his clumsiness. He slips, stumbles, and splashes his way through the African Savannah. He has to stoop to meet the meerkats, elephants, and other animals who are all much shorter than he is. “Oh dear, Geoffrey,” is repeated various times. He is fed up. Then, some young monkeys ask for help getting to the top of the tree where he also befriends a group of birds who have been following him all along. Geoffrey realizes that he can make friends by standing tall and being himself. The author uses onomatopoetic language and a hint of humor to narrate this story. Gouache and collage illustrations help bring Geoffrey’s adorable awkwardness to life. jjr
OmniLibros 