Dancing Dogs by Jon Katz

Jon Katz has written many books about animals that live on his farm in upstate New York.  Many of his books feature dogs.  However, one of my personal favorites is about a sheep.  In his writings, he explores the world from the viewpoint of animals, as well as his own comments about why they behave the way that they do.

Dancing Dogs is a compilation of stories about a variety of animals including dogs, sheep, chickens and cats.  If I were to catergorize all of them, I would say that they are poignant.  They certainly tug at your heartstrings but all in all they each offer a positive slant on the barnyard of life.

My personal favorite is "Puppy Commando" which is the story about a little girl who wants a puppy in the worst way.  Her parents come up with all sorts of reasons  why she cannot have one.  She is on a class trip and manages to get into a protected area and discovers a damaged puppy who melts her heart in one glance.  She trys every way she can think of to convince her parents that this dog is meant for her.

An engaging collection of stories about the relationships that animals experience between each other and humans.

Ladybookbug!