The Helpful Puppy

PreS-Gr 1–A white puppy with brown spots wants to help out on the farm. He can’t pull a heavy cart like the ox or carry people around like the horse. He isn’t quick enough to chase mice like the cat or old enough to help the sheepdog. Laying eggs and giving milk are quite beyond him, and he would look silly sheared like the sheep. Yet when he hears his boy’s whistle, he knows just what to do. “His boy was home from school./It was time to play!/He jumped and licked and dashed/and wiggled for the rest of the day.” And best of all, at bedtime the puppy snuggles with his boy, giving him love. McCully’s signature watercolor illustrations bring to life one idyllic day on the farm. The curious pup is everywhere with ears flapping and tail wagging, but nowhere is he better than in the eight small scenes against white backgrounds when he is with his boy. This gentle story, reminiscent of an earlier era, has wide appeal and is a good choice for most collections.–Mary Jean Smith, formerly at Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN