Schoolhouse Dogs Face Life, by Dawn and Jim Darnell (Independently Published, 2023, 178pp, $14.95PB, $223.95HC, Young Adult)
Adorable Cover!
Authors Dawn and Jim Darnell take lessons about life that kids learn in school and transform those dry lessons into school chapters involving dogs, but not just any dogs - a bevy of breeds and mixes who attend an unusual school. Irish Setter, Mastiff, Husky, and more.
Considerable research has gone into writing Schoolhouse Dogs Face Life including breed characteristics. For example, a Shar Pei has difficulty smelling a trail because his face wrinkles hang down covering his nose and prevent the odors from reaching it, something that I had never thought about! Wrinkles also interfere with his sight. And his name is so descriptive - Crinkle Bear! He is a major character as he tries to win the heart of Lollie Pop, another Shar Pei.
The end of every chapter slides into a lesson for life. Though it may be hard to discern who exactly is speaking, even that mirrors real life when dogs all bark at once. Most chapters include lots of teasing, bullying and misunderstanding which, when cleared up, lead to the lessons learned.
The dogs interact in the schoolyard as they wait for the bell to ring and each day has a different lesson such as jumping, potty training (for the excitable Lab), and smelling.
But the most important lesson is not competing but acceptance of ourselves as the bullying turns into acceptance of others. The authors even give us an acronym: FACE for Forgiveness, Acceptance, Commitment and Encouragement.
No comments:
Post a Comment