The Stray Dog
by, Marc Simont
A family encounters a stray dog while enjoying a Saturday picnic. They name him Willy, and feed him and play with him. When it is time to go home, they leave Willy at the park, sure that he must belong to someone. During the week, the family worries about Willy, wondering if maybe he doesn't have his own family after all. When they return to the park the following Saturday, Willy is still there, but he is running to escape the dog catcher!
I enjoyed this picture book. It is a loving story, and the illustrations adequately portray the family's love for Willy, and their worry for him when they are unsure if Willy has a family. The author writes, "During the week, all the family had Willy on their minds." As the family worries, the illustrations show the father overfilling his coffee mug, the little girl tripping on the stairs, the boy daydreaming on the baseball field, and the mother ignoring the burning dinner on the stove. In the end, the family brings Willy home, and "Willy settled in where he belonged." This is a cute, heartwarming story.
I was working on my next post and my son walked by. He spotted my copy of "The Stray Dog" and said, "oh mom, I just LOVE that book. It is my favorite!" I asked him to share what his favorite part was, and he likes the page where the dog catcher is catching Willy.
ReplyDeleteJust thought I'd share.