Dear Mr. Trump, In a Word: Read!

Dear Mr. Trump,

(And thus begins a week of letters to Mr. Trump)

The media has reported you as saying you “have no time to read. . . never had.”*

As DogEvals readers know, every once in a while we try to talk our adult non-readers or little-readers into venturing incognito in to their local public library’s Children’s Section and reading (or checking out) a quick children’s book – preferably about dogs – in the guise of doing it for their children (which you have 5 of) or grands (which you have 8 of) because our blog-readers are wise consumers. Mr. Trump, let DogEvals help save you time picking out the best quick books for you! Here is one.

Harry the Homeless Puppy, by Holly Webb (Scholastic, 125 pp, reading level 2.4, 2009)

Harry the Homeless Puppy is a great little read about Grace, a little girl with an older brother in (probably) England. The kids volunteer at their local dog shelter, walking and playing with the dogs.  

(Maybe your son Barron would like to do this, too, Mr. Trump – volunteer at a dog shelter. He would be a wonderful role model for the rest of the country’s kids and will do a world of good for homeless dogs. If you need a list of shelters in New York City, just let us know here at DogEvals.)

Soon Grace falls for a little Jack Russell Terrier who is very sad because his girl moved to New York and couldn’t take him. Unfortunately, Grace cannot adopt Harry the puppy because she lives in an apartment.

Mr. Trump, you can take this little book and almost stow it in a pocket. Bring it out when you have a half-hour alone or stay up late at night to read about Harry and fall asleep happy and contented.

So, Harry is a sad little homeless puppy but Grace brings him back to life in the shelter just by paying attention to him and walking him. However, he becomes a boomerang pup – separated from the first girl he loves and then the next little girl he loves and adopted out to one family after another.

Grace the girl learns a lot about human nature, and dogs, and hope and trust and family relationships – all are things even some adults need to be reminded of. And it has a happy ending!

Mr. Trump, I bet you would enjoy reading Harry the Homeless Puppy even if it is about a girl. Or the book I will tell you about tomorrow, Vet Volunteers: Teacher’s Pet.

Truly Yours in Better Reading,

Your new friends at DogEvals

*the Washington Post, 17 July 2016 (Marc Fisher)

Caveat: You can probably find this book at your local public library. Or try a used-books store.