Dog at the Door, by Ben Baglio (Scholastic, 2002, 152 pages, grades 2-5, ages 7 and up) number 25 in the Animal Ark series of 45
An Unsettling Setting – A Mystery?
Mandy lives with her mom, Dr. Emily, and dad, Dr. Adam, in a house connected to a veterinary clinic, the Animal Ark. A dog appears at their front door (on Halloween night, to boot) and appears very pregnant. Where did she come from? Why did she come here, to their door? Where is her owner?
The Plots
Now we have two possible plots: solve the mystery to find the dog’s owner before the impending “birth day” or help the dog give birth soon - but when - if she will let Mandy and her parents, the vets, help.
Getting ready for the imminent births takes most of the twists and turns of the plot, leaving the solution of the mystery to be revealed rather quickly after the pups have arrived. Along the way, a hint is discovered when the dog shows an interest in eggs and the backyard chickens (no spoiler here!).
Lights! Action! Camera!
The action is fast-paced: in a matter of only a few days, the golden retriever drop-in canine visitor becomes a new, first-time mom who learns her maternal role slowly, thus serving as a lesson in life to Mandy and her best friend, Charles, a year younger neighbor with a dog of his own (whose story was also written by author Ben Baglio).
Both youngsters are likable and realistic yet adult-like (as is usually the case in books for children).
Your youngster will love and learn and want to read the other titles in the Animal Ark series, at least the ones with dogs on the cover! (Some have cat covers.)
Note to parents: one pup is stillborn and another, weak enough to require hand-feeding around the clock, doesn’t make it even after an apparent rally. However, both situations are handled with love and understanding care. The mother pup does finally accept her pups and learns to love and care for them.
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