Madeline Finn and the Shelter Dog

by Lisa Papp

Overview

Madeline Finn finds a new way to help more dogs and read more stories, in this latest book from award-winning author-illustrator Lisa Papp.

After Madeline Finn meets library dog Bonnie, she asks her mother for a puppy of her own every single day. Finally, Mom says yes, and Madeline Finn chooses Star, one of Bonnie's puppies.

Then Bonnie's owner, Mrs. Dimple, tells Madeline Finn about animal shelters―places many other pets come from. A visit to their local shelter leads Madeline Finn to ask some questions. Does anyone play with the shelter dogs, or snuggle with them, or read to them? Questions lead to answers, and ideas, and soon Madeline Finn and her human and animal community discover there are lots of ways for small people to make a big difference.

Award-winning author-illustrator Lisa Papp offers a kind, empathetic exploration of life in an animal shelter in this perfect story for dog lovers, pet adoption and rescue advocates, and young readers learning how to make a difference through community service.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781682634059
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	11/22/2022
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	219,194
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Lisa Papp grew up telling stories. With a notebook full of sketches, her early tales featured her cat, stuffed animals, and other nature-y things. Today, Lisa is still making up stories and painting pictures, only now, they fill the pages of children's books. She has received awards for both her writing and illustration, including a 2011 NAPPA Honor Award, 2012 Storytelling Award, and the 2013 PA Keystone to Reading Award. Lisa lives in Pennsylvania, with her husband, Robert, also an artist, and three wildly creative cats—to whom she does read.

Editorial Reviews

"Cheerful. . . Charming. . . the story provides a positive look at two ways of acquiring a new pet." —Kirkus Reviews

"A gentle first-person text accompanies the watercolor-and-pencil illustrations on soothing beige pages, which perfectly befit the reassuring, happy ending." —Booklist

From the Publisher

2018-11-26

A little girl adopts a puppy and starts a program at an animal shelter in which children read to dogs and cats waiting for adoption.

The resourceful little girl gained confidence in her own reading abilities by reading out loud to a huge, white dog in the initial story, Madeline Finn and the Library Dog (2016). Now Madeline is adopting a puppy from a litter born to the dog who helped her in the library reading program. Madeline names her puppy Star and learns all about taking care of a new pet. When Madeline visits an animal shelter, she wants to help the dogs and cats feel loved. She designs her own volunteer program, enlisting other children to read to the animals at the shelter as well as donating towels and blankets. The cheerful story, narrated in first-person present-tense by Madeline, concludes with a lonely dog being adopted by a boy who is one of the volunteer readers. Charming, soft-focus illustrations in pencil and watercolor have an old-fashioned flavor, with appealing dogs and a quiet, pastel palette. Madeline and her mother present white, the shelter supervisor is a woman with brown skin and dark, curly hair, and the kids in the reading program include several children of color.

While the often harsh realities of animal shelters and rescue animals are glossed over in this introduction to the subject, the story provides a positive look at two ways of acquiring a new pet. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews