Reviews: (by author)

Boase, Susan. Lucky Boy. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. $15. ISBN 0-618-13175-2.

Lucky doesn't start out that way. The family he lives with doesn't play with him or let him indoors or really like him very much. They call him "Stinky." His tiny back yard is barren. Still, he manages to have fun, since he is really a fine little dog. Next to the unappreciative family lives an old man who's become a lonely widower. Guess what? The soon-to-be Lucky Boy digs under the fence and falls asleep in the old man's yard. Instant love: now Lucky gets a bath, food, attention, and love, and rides in a VW bug. But will the former owners claim the dog? Not on your life. They're not bad people, just too busy. They happily relinquish ownership, making the old man and the now-named Lucky both feel that way. This is an endearing story by a first time author/illustrator. The soft pencil art combines pictures of a lively but underrated dog with neighborhood scenes and scenes of affection confirming the importance of pets to their owners. The story is well told and the book is very satisfying.

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