Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

Seriously, though. Even the kiddos slept in this morning–or read before coming in. Sleeping past 7:30 is lovely! AND it means more energy for things like reviews, which is why you’re getting my thoughts on Eoin Colfer’s (yes, the Artemis Fowl guy) The Dog Who Lost His Bark this morning.

I should maybe start with the disclaimer that I don’t actually LIKE dogs. I’m a cat person now and forever–and a bunny person, I guess, because we have three–and I spent my childhood more or less HATING dogs. On the other hand, Colfer’s novel is about a puppy, and baby animals are generally cute; most importantly, my kiddos are indiscriminate animal fans. I opted, then, to read The Dog Who Lost His Bark aloud to my 8-year-old.

It was actually a surprisingly short read-aloud. P.J. Lynch’s tearjerker illustrations take up a good bit of space, and it’s not a terribly long book anyway. As a parent, I saw the truth about Patrick’s family situation almost immediately; when it finally came out near the end of the novel, my 8-year-old yelled “I knew it,” so it’s probably not hard for anyone to see it coming. That part rang true for me. Unfortunately, Patrick’s winning over of Oz, a puppy who’d been abused and abandoned, felt less true. The music angle didn’t seem enough to explain how Patrick won Oz’s trust, and the shortness of the novel made the process seem very brief indeed. I think I was hoping for that to be the focus of the story–a hope the title supports, I might add–but instead, Patrick’s family situation is really the main event. Dog lovers and kids facing family upheaval should check this one out, but it’s less of an “any age will love this book” kind of experience.