- Labracadabra by Jessie Nelson and Karen Leigh Hopkins (Viking, 36 pages) $18.50.
IN this charming and funny early chapter book, Zach finally is given something he has wanted badly for a very long time.
For his entire life, in fact. When his parents tell him he is getting a surprise, Zach only hopes it is not going to be like the last one, namely the canoe that caused his cousin Seymour to throw up!
When he realizes it is a dog, he is absolutely ecstatic. Then he takes a closer look at his new best friend. This dog is too large to be a proper small dog and too small to be a proper large dog. And it has a huge nose and a really, really long tail.
Despite its perceived imperfections, Zach is prepared to bond with his new pet and realizes that at least he will have the fun of naming it. Unfortunately, his mother puts a stop to this plan by telling Zach that the dog already has a name and so as not to confuse the animal, the name has to stay. Worst of all, the dog's name turns out to be Larry.
Zach is pretty sure that Larry is not an appropriate name for a dog. He elects to clean his room to save himself the embarrassment of taking Larry for a walk.
Mom is not impressed and the dog gets his walk. Zach feels a little better after Larry scares the neighbourhood meanie by strategically waving his tail. Two days later the tail swats away a bee from Zach's allergic cousin and finally the tail becomes the catalyst in helping Zach bond with his new friend Brandon. By this time Zach is charmed by Larry and even thinks his tail might have a magic aspect to it.
This is a nice story about not judging people or animals by looks alone and the message is delivered with humour and sympathy. Larry is a real star and gets his place beside the bed as we all knew he would. For dog lovers of every age but especially nice for readers in the early grades. Some other great dog stories for kids in this age bracket are as follows:
- Stanley's Party by Linda Bailey
- Notso Hotso by Anne Fine
- Babymouse8, Puppy Love by Jennifer Holm
- Berta by Celia Lottridge
- Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh
- Smarter Than Squirrels and sequels by Lucy A. Nolan
- Three Stories You Can Read to Your Dog by Sara Swan Miller
Fran Ashdown is the children's librarian at the Capilano branch of the North Vancouver District Library. She had a dog named Holly, so named because she fell into the holes dug for planting trees on her uncle's farm. For more library information, check out www.nvdpl.ca.
