AmySea

I asked my niece to review this story after we read it. She gave it two thumbs up. She said that she really liked the story, and she liked the illustrations a lot. She said that she would suggest to other kids that they read this book.

From an adult's point of view, this story provides many opportunities to talk to kids about a few social issues in a way that they can understand. My niece and nephew both independently made the connection that not only does Mutt Dog not have a home, but many of the people in the story didn't either. Through the dog the kids could see some of the struggles that homeless people might face, too. My niece was also concerned about why some people would treat animals as throw-away creatures and asked me about this without prompting. Even my three-year old nephew furrowed his brow and really *felt* sympathy/empathy for Mutt Dog and the homeless people in the book. He asked questions about what he was seeing in the pictures, and gave me his interpretations of what was being presented.

This is a simple, but deep story, and one my niece and nephew both enjoyed, and I appreciated that it engaged their minds and their emotions.