3 out of 4 stars
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When Mary inquires how much Ansley would ask for Singer, the latter exclaims, “I don’t sell family members!”
In Just a Shelter Dog, Sally H. Cronk relates the life story of Singer. Sally makes me want to question my unholy fear of dogs. (I am deathly afraid of bites!) Her book makes me feel like I am missing a lot of loving by not being able to pet dogs, much less hug them.
Ansley (called Long Hair by Singer, our story’s hero hound) rescues Singer’s pregnant mom from a howling snowstorm when the dog’s former owner leaves her on the highway. Having been brought to a shelter on time, the mom is nursed back to good health and gives birth to four pups, with Singer the runt of the litter. All the other pups and the mom eventually find their new homes while Singer languishes in the shelter, unadopted and feeling abandoned by his family. Disturbed by his baying on one of her duty nights at the shelter, Ansley decides to bring Singer home and adopt him. Soon, she finds him an excellent companion, and woman and dog become inseparable.
During one of their playtimes at the park, Ansley and Singer meet an autistic boy, Oliver, who immediately takes a liking to Singer. The feeling is mutual, as Singer is drawn to the boy by the picture messages the dog senses from Oliver. Boy and dog bond almost instantly. Astounded by the boy's response to Singer, the boy's mother Mary begs Ansley to let them have Singer. After days of tearful deliberation, Ansley gives up Singer to Oliver.
The autistic boy is prone to tantrums, is uncommunicative, and bites whomever is near when angered. Will Singer be what Mary needs to reach out to Oliver?
This inspiring book is divided into 42 chapters, and most chapters are narrated by Singer. It is refreshing to see the world through a dog’s eyes. Singer has unique names for all the characters which are based on their observable characteristics. (Dogs can’t understand human-speak but can sense what people feel by their body language and the smells they emit.) We meet Tall Guy, Skinny Mom, Cool Lady, and the dogs Pushy Pup and Sad Eyes. While the reader has to contend with two sets of names, the author skillfully manages to keep the reading on track.
Singer’s depiction of the world allows the readers to look with wonder at things we take for granted. The sky is the Blue Roof; the sun is the Yellow Eye. Things lying about in the house are given unusual descriptions, and it is fun guessing what they are. Singer’s analysis of (and puzzlement about) human behavior is particularly interesting and will trigger many laughs.
The characters (human and dog alike) are all portrayed well, and the readers can easily empathize with their situations. The author, being a retired special education teacher, clearly shows her insight into the human psyche and effortlessly connects the reader with the characters’ emotions.
The ending holds a surprise and gives the reader a juicy bit to chew on long after the story ends. I closed the book with a satisfied sigh.
I give the book 3 out of 4 stars but wish I could give the perfect rating because of the happy experience I had with it. However, there are just too many grammatical slips. The errors are mostly misused punctuation, missed prepositions, and run-on sentences; there are a few misspellings and wrong verb tenses, too. Two incidents are not tightly woven: the diabetic emergency and Ryan working hard to make partner. While not distracting, these lapses should best be corrected to make this book really shine.
I recommend this book to dog-lovers who will surely find the human-canine relationships heartwarming. People dealing with autism will find hope and inspiration from the story. I believe everyone can get good vibes from this novel which highlights the age-old saying that the dog is man’s best friend. In fact, as Ansley says, dogs are family!
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Just a Shelter Dog
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