Big Red [Paperback]

Jim Kjelgaard (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

From the moment Danny sees the beautiful Irish setter, he knows Red is the dog for him.  Fast and smart, strong and noble, Red is the only dog Danny wants by his side.  Soon, neither boy nor dog can stand to be apart.  Together Danny and Red face many dangers in the harsh Wintapi wilderness that they call home.  But the greatest test of their courage and friendship will come from an enemy more cunning than any they've known before--a bear who is the undisputed king of the wilderness, a savage killer called Old Majesty.

Editorial Reviews

Review

*"Sure-fire combination of a boy and dog. When they meet, it is love at first sight, and so will it be for all who read the story." (Library Journal (starred review) )

"A story of love and understanding....Absorbing reading." (Booklist ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Publisher

From the moment Danny sees the beautiful Irish setter, he knows Red is the dog for him. Fast and smart, strong and noble, Red is the only dog Danny wants by his side. Soon, neither boy nor dog can stand to be apart. Together Danny and Red face many dangers in the harsh Wintapi wilderness that they call home. But the greatest test of their courage and friendship will come from an enemy more cunning than any they've known before--a bear who is the undisputed king of the wilderness, a savage killer called Old Majesty.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Yearling (February 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553154346
• ISBN-13: 978-0553154344
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.6 x 7.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #389,672 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars adventures of a young man and his dog, May 21, 2006

By 

Sammy Madison (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Big Red (Paperback)

Jim Kjelgaard is a really great writer of dog stories set in the outdoors. "Big Red" is the first of three Irish Setter books. If you like "Big Red" the second book is "Irish Red" and the third one is "Outlaw Red". Danny lives with his father in a shack back in the mountains. They run a trap line and harvest wild honey for money. They are squatters on the land of a rich man, Mr. Haggin. Danny's mother died a long time ago. Danny and his father make a little money on the side by doing work for Mr. Haggin. Mr. Haggin has a beautiful Irish Setter he calls Boy. When Danny sees him, it's love at first sight. But when Danny asks Mr. Haggin how much a dog like Boy would cost, Mr. Haggin says he paid $7000 for him. Danny knows a trapper could never afford a dog like that. Mr. Haggin takes an interest in Danny. It is clear that Danny is different from his father, he has some kind of quality he inherited from his mother, tempered by the ruggedness and independence he learned from living in the wilderness. Mr. Haggin gives Danny a job taking care of Boy, who Danny calls Red. Like Danny, Red shows special quality. But he has never done for himself. He's a show dog. Mr. Haggin sends Danny to New York with Red when he's in a dog show. Then when they go back to Mr. Haggin's ranch, Danny is allowed to take Red out in the wilderness. Red learns from Danny how to be a brave and rugged dog. Red and Mr. Haggin give Danny a chance to move into the civilized world, and Danny gives Red a chance to reach his potential as a real dog in the outdoor world. An earlier reviewer made a great point that applies to all of Mr. Kjelgaard's books I have read: the dog doesn't have to be killed in his books. Most great dog stories are very sad. Examples would be "Sounder", "Where the Red Fern Grows", and "Old Yeller". I don't really like to watch most dog movies, because the dog always dies. The worst that happens to the dogs in Mr. Kjelgaard's books is a broken leg, or a bad wound that heals. No kleenex needed, no broken hearts here.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Big Red, January 25, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Big Red (Paperback)

Danny's heart seemed to stop beating as he saw the wolverine's powerful jaws fastened in Red's chest. Danny is just a hunter boy that lives on a rich man's property. Mr. Haggin is the owner of Big Red, the Irish setter that Danny so dearly wants. Danny asks and asks Mr. Haggin if he might be able to have Big Red and Mr. Haggin decides to let Danny watch how his show-dog handler handles them with complete and proper care. After Danny sees the dog show they all travel back to the property where Mr. Haggins lets Danny have Big Red. Danny loves Big Red and treats him as his best friend. After learning to become a hunting dog, the two of them become the closest of companions. They go on many hunts in the forest and do a great job. There is also a bear in the forest, name Old Majesty, and Mr. Haggins wants him dead so that he isn't a threat anymore to the safety of everyone on the property. Danny and Red go out one night to set the traps for winter and stay in the Cottage that's far out in the woods for reasons like this. A wolverine unexpectedly gets in and Red protects Danny while he grabs a pan and prepares to knock out the wolverine. Eventually Red and Danny win and the wolverine runs away. The next day Danny and Red set out to get Big Majesty and finally run into him around dusk. Red and him get into a fight and Danny can hardly see because it's constantly getting darker. They eventually kill the Old Majesty with the cost of Red breaking a leg. They go back to their house and Sheilah MacGuire, a female dog that Red showed interest in, becomes Danny's to keep. The two dogs are happy and have a puppy. While reading Big Red, I found it hard to just stop at a random place because there was always something interesting going on. It was also a good book because one of the main characters was a dog which isn't how a majority of books are so you had to use your imagination a little more than normal. Of course at the end of the book when Red and Sheilah have a puppy, that made me feel good because it was exactly the happy ending both Danny and Red wanted.

In Big Red, there was always something critical to the story line happening or about to happen. Because of this, it was hard to put the book down. Whether they were about to start the dog show, go hunting, or were in the middle of the forest, I just had to know what was going to happen next. While Danny and Red were in the woods at dusk, searching for Old Majesty, I was on my toes because I knew they were going to run into him and have a critical fight. After Red broke his leg, it forced me to keep turning pages to see if he would be alright or if he wasn't going to make it.

One of the main things I thought was cool about this book was that one of the main characters was a dog. It wasn't a dog that could talk either, like you see in other fiction stories. He was realistic, couldn't talk, and show doglike emotions. The way him and Danny bonded made it even better because Red became one of the main characters and you kind of considered him a person in a sense.

During the dog show, Danny notices a very fine female dog and so does Red. After going home neither of them think too much of her anymore but when they get back from killing Old Majesty, they figure out a way to get her and keep her. Red and her then have a puppy and the story ends happily ever after, like all stories should.

Big Red was one of my favorite books to read. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that is in search of an animal related, "Happy ending", and very intriguing story.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Big Red- Jim Kjelgaard, February 16, 2005

By 

Neil Pede "Pede" (Chaffey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Big Red (Paperback)

Big Red by Jim Kjelgaard was a good book. It's the story of a young boy out in the woods who makes his living by hunting and trapping. His dream is to have a dog that will be beside him while he hunted the legendary Old Majesty. Old Majesty is the famous bear who lives in their neck of the woods. He's famous for his cunning and size, and the rest of the dogs are afraid of him. But Danny isn't afraid and wants to be the hero who took down Old Majesty. Well Danny sees his dream dog at one of his employers' house and falls in love. But this is a thoroughbred Irish Setter show dog. But he could never afford a dog like that. But out of pity, his employer gives him the dog. And their first order of business is to go after Old Majesty. What happens? Well read the book!