The Poet's Dog by Patricia MacLachlan

Reviewed by Lori

The Poet's Dog

Title: The Poet's Dog

Author: Patricia MacLachlan

Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 127678

Description: An abandoned dog, able to speak only to poets and children, rescues a pair of young children stranded in the forest. Together, they find a way to overcome their losses.

Rubric Rating: Level 4 - Love It

Why I Read It: Poetry and Dogs... what more can I say. 




Notes: This is one of those novels that I absolutely love.  It is written for a younger audience but there are deeper aspects to the story that are very appealing to an adult reader.   The story is encapsulated within 88 pages, and spells out the story of Teddy, the poet's dog, whose master has passed away, and Flora and Nickel, two children he finds lost in a blizzard.   The children are left in a car by their mother as she goes to look for help after getting stuck in the snow.  The children get scared and leave the vehicle and get lost in the woods where they are found by Teddy who brings them home.  Flora has left a note for her mother "Were safe" forgetting the apostrophe.  This note I found, for me, was the crux of the story.  The children were safe, and then they were not.  Not until they were found by Teddy.  And Teddy is in turn rescued by the children as he again is heard as only poet's and children can hear Teddy speak.  I like the way the story is drawn together with the characters becoming firmly enmeshed at the end.  My only criticism, is that the mother isn't "worried" about the children as they had left a note for her.  If my children were lost in a snowstorm for several days and I didn't know where they were, I would be hysterical.  But as this is a book for children, it is likely a reassurance for younger readers that the characters "were safe."

Recommended Readers: Grade 2 and Up.  Especially dog and poetry lovers.  Great title for reluctant readers as there are a lot of discussion points, with a larger font size and short chapters.

Themes: Getting Lost, Safety, Danger, Friendship, Care, Compassion, Siblings, Death, Poetry

Cross-Genre Links: 
TV Show: Lassie
Movie: Benji
Music: The Puppy Song by Harry Nilsson
Poem: The Dog by Ogden Nash
Websearch: Irish Wolf Hound

Inquiries and Activities: 

  • How does Teddy learn to speak?
  • Why do you think only poets and children can hear dogs speak?
  • How are Teddy and the children in the same situation?
  • What are some of the traits of an Irish Wolf Hound?
  • What would you do if you were stuck in a car in a blizzard?  
  • Why is it important to be prepared?
  • Have a discussion about safety.





Comments

  1. Powdered Toast Man17 August 2019 at 00:02

    So it is nothing like the movie Ted?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lori17 August 2019 at 09:51

      Not even close, aside from the name Teddy. (And as one is a dog and the other a bear it's a pretty far stretch.)

      Delete

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