1997 KIND Children's Book Award Recipient

The Bookshop Dog
by Cynthia Rylant
New York: The Blue Sky Press, 1996
30 pages; Ages 4-8

Martha Jane is one lucky dog! Her owner takes her everywhere: to the park and the market, to the dentist's office and the bookstore she owns. In fact, Martha Jane spends every day at the store, and all of the shop's patrons come to know and adore her. So what happens when she needs a dog sitter? Everyone volunteers for the job! Parents, children, a police officer, a marching-band director, a big man in a green coat--even a mail carrier--try to ply their favorite pooch with drums and horns, howling sirens, pet toys, flashing lights and, of course, bags of Dog Yums and Wag Snacks.

To find out which of her doting fans finally wins a week with Martha Jane, pick up a copy of Cynthia Rylant's The Bookshop Dog. Amusingly written and colorfully illustrated by the author, this children's book paints a wonderful picture of a caring, responsible pet owner and dog lovers of all ages.

"My inspiration for The Bookshop Dog came from a real bookshop dog in Hudson, Ohio," says Rylant. "Every day, B.J. would accompany her owner to the bookstore." These days, B.J.--who is 13 years old--prefers to stay home. But when The Bookshop Dog was published, she was on hand to autograph copies with her pawprint!

Cynthia Rylant knows firsthand about the joys of pet ownership. She shares her Oregon home with a twelve-year-old cat, named Blueberry, and two dogs--Martha Jane and Gracie Rose. "I have had pets all my life and have loved them so deeply," she says. "And I love doing books about animals." The author has written more than 60 books for young readers, many of which have earned prestigious awards, including the Caldecott Honor, Newbery Medal, and American Bookseller Pick of the Lists.

"The KIND Children's Book Award means so much to me," says Rylant, "because it's given by an organization that values animals--their dignity and intelligence. I am so proud to be honored!"

Other titles worth adding to your bookshelf:

 * Desert Trip (San Francisco: Sierra Club Books for Children, 1996), by Barbara A. Steiner, with illustrations by Ronald Himler; Ages 4-8. A tiny puddle teeming with tadpoles, the spicy scent of a cliff rose, ravens wheeling across a clean open sky--all the wonders of the desert come alive for a young girl backpacking through Utah's canyonlands with her mother.

 * Murphy and Kate (New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1995), by Ellen Howard, with illustrations by Mark Graham; Ages 4-8. Steady companions, a little girl and her dog, Murphy, grow up together. When Murphy dies, fourteen-year-old Kate finds happiness not in forgetting her dog, but in remembering him. An excellent book for any child faced with the loss of a beloved pet.

 * Red Wolf Country (New York: Dutton Children's Books, 1996), by Jonathan London, with illustrations by Daniel San Souci; Ages 4-8. More than a century ago, red wolves were plentiful throughout the southeastern United States. But by 1980, as a result of habitat destruction, trapping, and overhunting, the red wolf had become extinct in the wild. Thanks to a project that successfully bred and released the species in Mississippi, Florida, and the Carolinas, the wild red wolf population has slowly been reestablished and currently numbers nearly one hundred. Follow a pair of red wolves in winter as they make their way across frost-covered coastal wetlands. In the spring, against a backdrop of blooming dogwood, the pair embarks on a new season with four pups. A portion of the proceeds from Red Wolf Country has been donated to further red wolf protection efforts.