Little Dog, Lost

by Marion Dane Bauer, Jennifer A. Bell (Illustrator)

Overview

A “wholly satisfying” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) novel in verse starring a boy, a lost dog, and a lonely old man, from Newbery Honoree Marion Dane Bauer

Mark is a boy who needs a dog. But he can’t get his mom on board with his plan.

Buddy is a dog who needs a boy. Buddy has an owner already, but not one who understands what a dog really needs.

Mr. LaRue is a neighbor who needs a community. He’s alone all the time in his huge old house—and everyone needs more than that.

Over the course of a summer thunderstorm and one chaotic town council meeting, these three characters cross paths and come together in a timeless tale ripe with emotions. They’ll realize they all need the same things: love, understanding, and a sense of belonging—plus a place to play a game of fetch!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442434240
Publisher:	Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	05/07/2013
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	193
Sales rank:	523,446
Product dimensions:	5.32(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.57(d)
Lexile:	710L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Marion Dane Bauer is the author of many books for young readers, including the Newbery Honor book On My Honor and the Coretta Scott King Book Illustrator Award winner The Stuff of Stars. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, and can be reached at MarionDaneBauer.com.

Jennifer A. Bell is an illustrator whose work can be found in greeting cards, magazines, and more than forty children’s books. She studied fine art at the Columbus College of Art and Design and spent many years designing seasonal giftware and greeting cards before becoming a children’s book illustrator. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Read an Excerpt

Little Dog, Lost

Little dog,

lost.

Little black dog with brown paws

and a brown mask

and a sweet ruffle of brown fur on her bum

just beneath her black whip of a tail.

Satiny coat.

Ears like airplane wings

that drop

just at the tips.

She used to be called Buddy

until no one called her anything at all.

“Hey, you!” maybe.

Or “Shoo!”

Names to run from.

Buddy wasn’t always lost.

Once she owned a boy.

It was the boy who named her.

(“I know she’s a girl,” he’d say,

“but she’s my buddy anyway.”)

Her boy threw a ball

again

and again

and again

until Buddy flopped

onto her belly

in the tickling grass

and dropped

the ball

between her paws,

her tongue as limp

as

a

dishrag

Come and get it, her grin always said,

and then I’ll chase some more.

The boy used to take Buddy’s pointy face

between his hands

and kiss her on the lips,

just like that.

When Buddy was quick,

she could get in a lick

at the exact moment

of the kiss.

The boy would say, “Arghhh!”

and wipe his mouth

with the back of his hand.

Then he’d kiss Buddy

on the lips

again.

In short,

Buddy and her boy

were perfectly matched

and perfectly happy

together.

But nothing,

not even the sweetest love,

can be certain

of lasting

forever.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Here is a tale that warms the heart from top to bottom and back again. This is storytelling in all its glory."—Kathi Appelt, author of the Newbery Honor Book The Underneath

* "Wholly satisfying.... A perfect selection for pet lovers new to chapter books and anyone who just enjoys a cheerful dog story."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* “The rapid, immediate free verse will grab readers with first the longing and loneliness and then, on contrast, the boy and dog in bliss. Great for sharing with pet lovers.”—Booklist, starred review

“Marion Dane Bauer delicately showcases yearning in so many hearts, human and animal. Buddy, a female dog so named by her first owner because she was his buddy, loses one home and moves through another before emerging as a much-loved Ruby at the end. Telling the story in short poems, which highlight central characters, allows Bauer to make the story accessible to many different readers. The lines can dwell on Buddy's cute ears or the “eyes as blue as a Caribbean sea” of a lonely older man, or the wonderful dog-dominating skills of a cat named Fido. A great read-aloud.”

—Mary Harris Russell, Chicago Tribune

"Newbery Honor–author Bauer (On My Honor) crafts distinct voices for each character and develops a strong sense of place in the close-knit town of Erthly. . . . Any child who has ever longed for a pet or tried to convince a parent to give in to a dear wish will identify with Mark."—Publishers Weekly

"Written in poetry form, this title is a wonderful story for dog lovers and those who like a little mystery—the reader does not find out until the end of the book how each character’s story relates others. This is perfect for a read-aloud or to read alone."

-—Library Media Connection, October 2012

American Kennel Club Responsible Dog Ownership Month

American Kennel Club; http://www.akc.org/

Little Dog, Lost (Atheneum, 2012) by Newbery Honor winner Marion Dane Bauer is the heartwarming story of a boy who needs a dog, and a dog who needs a boy—a match made in heaven if only the two can meet! This touching novel in verse will captivate readers. A guide for the novel including discussion questions, simile and persuasive letter writing activities, and more is available free (http://www.mariondanebauer.com/bkpages/bk_littledog.html). Grades 3-7.

SLM, September 2012

Editorial Reviews

"Here is a tale that warms the heart from top to bottom and back again. This is storytelling in all its glory."—Kathi Appelt, author of the Newbery Honor Book The Underneath

* "Wholly satisfying.... A perfect selection for pet lovers new to chapter books and anyone who just enjoys a cheerful dog story."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* “The rapid, immediate free verse will grab readers with first the longing and loneliness and then, on contrast, the boy and dog in bliss. Great for sharing with pet lovers.”—Booklist, starred review

“Marion Dane Bauer delicately showcases yearning in so many hearts, human and animal. Buddy, a female dog so named by her first owner because she was his buddy, loses one home and moves through another before emerging as a much-loved Ruby at the end. Telling the story in short poems, which highlight central characters, allows Bauer to make the story accessible to many different readers. The lines can dwell on Buddy's cute ears or the “eyes as blue as a Caribbean sea” of a lonely older man, or the wonderful dog-dominating skills of a cat named Fido. A great read-aloud.”

—Mary Harris Russell, Chicago Tribune

"Newbery Honor–author Bauer (On My Honor) crafts distinct voices for each character and develops a strong sense of place in the close-knit town of Erthly. . . . Any child who has ever longed for a pet or tried to convince a parent to give in to a dear wish will identify with Mark."—Publishers Weekly

"Written in poetry form, this title is a wonderful story for dog lovers and those who like a little mystery—the reader does not find out until the end of the book how each character’s story relates others. This is perfect for a read-aloud or to read alone."

-—Library Media Connection, October 2012


American Kennel Club Responsible Dog Ownership Month

American Kennel Club; http://www.akc.org/

Little Dog, Lost (Atheneum, 2012) by Newbery Honor winner Marion Dane Bauer is the heartwarming story of a boy who needs a dog, and a dog who needs a boy—a match made in heaven if only the two can meet! This touching novel in verse will captivate readers. A guide for the novel including discussion questions, simile and persuasive letter writing activities, and more is available free (http://www.mariondanebauer.com/bkpages/bk_littledog.html). Grades 3-7.

SLM, September 2012

From the Publisher

"Written in poetry form, this title is a wonderful story for dog lovers and those who like a little mystery—the reader does not find out until the end of the book how each character’s story relates others. This is perfect for a read-aloud or to read alone."

Library Media Connection

Marion Dane Bauer delicately showcases yearning in so many hearts, human and animal. Buddy, a female dog so named by her first owner because she was his buddy, loses one home and moves through another before emerging as a much-loved Ruby at the end. Telling the story in short poems, which highlight central characters, allows Bauer to make the story accessible to many different readers. The lines can dwell on Buddy's cute ears or the “eyes as blue as a Caribbean sea” of a lonely older man, or the wonderful dog-dominating skills of a cat named Fido. A great read-aloud.

Chicago Tribune

* “The rapid, immediate free verse will grab readers with first the longing and loneliness and then, on contrast, the boy and dog in bliss. Great for sharing with pet lovers.

starred review Booklist

"Here is a tale that warms the heart from top to bottom and back again. This is storytelling in all its glory."

Kathi Appelt

When her loving family--especially the boy who kisses her on the lips--moves to the city, Buddy is re-homed with a clueless though kind woman while a dog-loving boy yearns for a mutt of his own. Long, thin lines of free-verse text scroll invitingly down the mostly white pages. This tender, engaging effort economically captures the winsome attitude of Buddy, whose "ears like airplane wings" now sag. She spends her days peering through her new owner's fence, watching despondently for her missing boy and finally resolving to go find him. Mark, who lives in the same town, feels his life is empty without the dog he desperately needs but his mother won't permit. And there is shy Charles Larue, the aging caretaker of a nearby mansion, who spends his lonely days waiting for something--anything--to bring meaning to his life. How these three needy creatures will come together is predictable but wholly satisfying nonetheless. Bauer describes the little dog joyfully chasing a ball: "She rose and rose / as though her hind legs were springs, / as though her front ones were wings." The description just as aptly captures the heartening nature of this attractive tale, which is enhanced with Bell's pleasant black-and-white illustrations. A perfect selection for pet lovers new to chapter books and anyone who just enjoys a cheerful dog story. (Verse fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews