yay!books

Along Came a Dog (Harper Trophy Books)
  • Along Came a Dog (Harper Trophy Books)
  • Author: Meindert Dejong
  • Binding: Paperback
  • ISBN: 0064401146
  • Pages: 192
  • Published: 1980-09-24

This book may fit what adults think nine and twelve year olds should be reading, but I read this when I was nine and even then my reaction was, "this is not well written." C'mon people, I was nine when I said that. This book is utterly boring, and there never is a real point of the story. Something adults like about it the kids are missing, so whats the point?



AN AWARD ON THIS BOOK!?!?!?! I love all kind of animals and above all dogs, I read three times Along Came a Dog and Hurry Home Candy, and each time I felt the same tension at the beginning and the same triumph at the end of this moving story. The simplicity and the reality of the description of situations and emotions is amazing as extraordinary is the match De Jong /Sendak.
As a foreigner reader (Italian) I think these two artists keep at the very top the quality of American children's literature and arts.
An inspiration for beginners and professionals writers and illustrators!

I wish Amazon had a ten star rating!
Meindert De Jong is a master of simple yet powerful stories. Ordinary settings, with ordinary people, tell extraordinary tales of love, fear, friendship and survival. You cannot read a De Jong book without tears flowing and Happiness triumphing in the end. I recommend this book for all ages, as well as any other Meindert De Jong books. I loved the story! Anyone who has lived with a dog and knows the behavior and emotions a dog is capable of can relate to this book. It is a tender story of compassion and acceptance. This is a lovely, sensitive story about a lonely dog searching for a home and the friendless little red hen he loves and protects. The author tells the story from the dog's and the hen's points of view, displaying a keen understanding of animal behavior. Sensitive children will identify with the protagonists, and it is impossible to avoid caring deeply about the fate of the two friends as the reader is drawn into their world. The story is suspenseful without being too scary for young children, and also includes a valuable message about accepting those who are "different." I loved this story as a youngster, and borrowed it dozens of times from my elementary school library. I just re-discovered it now at 36 years of age (I had assumed that it was out of print). It has not lost any of it's charm in the 25 years since I last read it.