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Summary
Summary
Winner of The Humane Society of the US Youth KIND Award, best children's picture book of the year
Honor Book, ASPCA Henry Bergh Award, Fiction, Companion Animals
Dog No. 241 lives in a crate in a cold, dark barn that is stacked with hundreds of other caged dogs in a puppy mill breeding operation. She has never known human companionship, exercise, or decent care. One night, rescuers arrive and take her and the other dogs away to lead new and happier lives. Soon, despite her fears, she finds herself in a warm, secure foster home, being bathed and groomed and loved by a young woman named Emma. At first, she is too frightened to respond; all she wants is to return to the familiar dark.
Eventually renamed Dakota, she learns to love and trust Emma, and her foster home becomes a friendly haven. But then a new challenge arrives in the person of a young girl, Sweetie, who is recovering from a misfortune as deep as Dakota's own. Sweetie and her parents come to look at Dakota as a possible pet. Initially, Sweetie rejects hairless little Dakota, but later she returns to offer Dakota a home, and Emma recommends her for adoption. With Emma's reassurances, Dakota goes to her forever home to become Sweetie's true partner in recovery.
Jan Zita Grover , author of North Enough: AIDS and Other Clear-Cuts (1997) and Northern Waters (1999), both from Graywolf Press, has worked in canine rescue since 1973, specifically with discarded puppy mill breed dogs. Dakota is modeled on one of Jan's own rescued dogs, Pixie.
Author Notes
Jan Zita Grover has worked in canine rescue since 1973, especially with discarded puppymill breed dogs. One of these dogs, Pixie, is the model for artist Nancy Lane's illustrations of Dakota. Jan is also the author of North Enough: AIDS and Other Clear-cuts (1997) and Northern Waters (1999), both published by Graywolf Press Nancy Lane has been a freelance illustrator for the last 20 years. Picture books include:Buster, Where Are You? (1998), Rico's Hawk (1999) Beyond Turkey (2005),The Everyday Witch (Series), 2002-2006, and others. Clients have included: Highlights Magazine, Scholastic, Inc., Barron's, Harcourt School Publishers, and Scott Foresman, among many others.
Reviews (1)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-From the touching cover illustration to the playful depictions of Dakota on the endpapers, this empathetic tale of a puppy-mill dog will resonate with animal lovers. Dakota is almost hairless and has sore feet from standing on the wire flooring of her cage. A volunteer, Emma, fosters her and eventually finds her a loving home. Dakota's future owner, a girl who is sick and has lost her hair, at first rejects the pup because she considers her ugly, but she later bonds with the animal. This part of the story is not completely convincing. However, the illustrations of the dog enjoying her first bath and comfortable bed are wonderful. Lane also captures the pet's vulnerability as she learns to walk and to enjoy companionship. The atrocious conditions and tragic lives of these creatures are briefly and accurately described. This sensitive portrayal will educate young readers through its poignant story and the brief facts provided at the end about helping such dogs.-Carol Schene, formerly at Taunton Public Schools, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
