Before You Were Mine

October 1, 2007
PreS-Gr 2-Boelts does an outstanding job of exploring the adoption of a rescued dog from a shelter. An unnamed boy whose family takes in this sweet-looking pet describes what the animal's life might have been like "before you were mine." The child wonders if his dog was loved, but too mischievous for the previous owners, or if they moved into a "no dogs allowed" apartment, or if he got lost, and "they never heard that]you look for him...until you find him." The boy also imagines how tough life must have been when the animal was on his own, and how frightened he might have been, even after being rescued. Walker's illustrationssome muted, others vibrantly coloredperfectly capture the misery and fear, the uncertainty, and ultimately the rapture of this pup because "you're "home"." The text and illustrations create moods that shift between poignant and blissful. A short essay about the "ripple of hope" created by a successful adoption of a dog from a shelter is appended. Pair this title with Marc Simont's "The Stray Dog" (HarperCollins, 2001) to drive home the joyous outcome when the right family meets up with the right dog."Deborah Vose, Highlands Elementary School, Braintree, MA"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2007
Cozy, soft-edged pictures of an adorable dog characterize this warmhearted book in which a boy, whose dog has died, getsanother dog from a shelter. The young narrator, thrilled with his newpet, speculates about the dog's past in a series of questions. He imagines another boy loving the dog and playing with it: ?Was your boy proud when you learned a trick? Did he talk about you at recess??He pictures the dog as a lively puppy whose owners were annoyed by his chewing and digging, and in a few imagined scenes, the dog appears neglected and unhappy. But the story comes full circleas the narrator welcomes the shivering stray intoits friendly new home. The pastel illustrations use a variety of layouts to infuse the story with emotion, and an author's note speaks of the ?ripple of hope? created when someone adopts adog. Children are likely to beg their parents for a trip to the shelter afterreading this moving book.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)