Lucky Boy [Hardcover]

Susan Boase (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Always on the go, to work and to school, and shopping on the weekends, the Gustin family fill their lives with things more important than their little brown dog. So Boy spends most days alone, in the fenced backyard, feeling vaguely unloved and growing fat- until the day he decides to dig himself out. With sensitivity and skill, Susan Boase reminds us that every dog deserves his day- and perhaps, if we are truly fortunate, at day's end, we will find companionship and love.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This splendidly told dog story finds a pair of neighbors one two-legged, the other four-legged mired in loneliness until chance brings them together. Confined by a high wooden fence to a barren back yard, Boy, a small brown, "kind of stinky" dog, is neglected and bored ("There wasn't much to look at; he had looked"). Next door lives elderly Mr. Miller, recently widowed and struggling with his loss ("He knew his wasn't the only broken heart in the world, but it certainly felt like it"). One night Boy digs his way under the fence, and when Mr. Miller discovers him in his yard the following morning seemingly dropped from nowhere, as Boy's tunnel is disguised by the compost pile it's love at first sight. A bath reveals Boy to be white, not brown, and he's allowed to do all manner of new things: come inside, jump on a bed, ride in a car and go for a walk on a leash. It's hard to say who's happier: "You and I are lucky to have found each other, Boy!" says Mr. Miller. The warmth and humor of newcomer Boase's polished prose revitalizes what might otherwise seem a predictable tale, and her sepia pencil drawings underscore the simplicity of her theme. The softly shaded and cross-hatched lines convey the story's innate tenderness. Ages 4-8.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

reSchool-Grade 3-Lucky Boy is an appealing fox terrier who isn't so lucky as the story begins. Neglected by his busy family, Boy (as in "Here, Boy" or "Down, Boy") is bored by his unchanging surroundings. When the little brown dog digs a hole under the fence, he encounters the lonely widower next door, who cleans him up and discovers that he's actually white. The pup lifts the old man's spirits and makes him laugh, thus earning his new name, Lucky Boy. Though he's only escaped next door, the oblivious family doesn't catch on, and are frankly relieved to have gotten rid of him. The author tries to sugarcoat the family's neglectful treatment, indeed, abuse of the animal, and this is too serious an issue to be treated so lightly. Their behavior is never directly confronted or condemned. Boase's expressive pencil illustrations are a delight, and completely capture the nature, joy, and essence of Lucky Boy. The art is reminiscent of Gabrielle Vincent's splendid drawings for A Day, A Dog (Front St., 2000). Unfortunately, even such wonderful pictures and a happy ending cannot compensate for the tale's failures.
Robin L. Gibson, Perry County District Library, New Lexington, OH
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; 1ST edition (March 26, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618131752
• ISBN-13: 978-0618131754
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,311,853 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Lucky" to Have Found Each Other....., May 20, 2002

By 

Roz Levine - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lucky Boy (Hardcover)

Poor Boy. He's stuck in the fenced backyard with nothing to do, nothing to see, and nowhere to go. The Gustin family brought him home on a whim; he was a freebe in a box at the store. But they're too busy, and have no time to pay attention to, or love a dog. So he sits in the yard, sad and lonely, cold in winter and hot in summer. Next door, on the other side of the tall fence is Mr Miller. He's all alone and very sad too. One very hot summer day, Boy began to dig. He was so hot, and the earth as he dug, grew cooler and cooler, that he kept digging deeper and deeper until he'd dug himself right out of the Gustin's yard..... Susan Boase has authored an uplifting story with a gentle message that won't be lost on young readers. The simple, heartfelt text is beautifully enhanced by her engaging and expressive, soft pencil illustrations, and together word and art paint a sweet and tender picture showing how a little love and companionship makes any life happier and more fulfilled. Perfect for youngsters 4-8, Lucky Boy is a heartwarming, read-aloud story the entire family can share an enjoy, and definitely one of 2002's best new books. Kudos to Susan Boase on such an outstanding debut!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you love dogs..., August 3, 2004

By 

steveirwin "steveirwin" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lucky Boy (Hardcover)

this is the sweetest story. It takes a sad, but realistic situation and turns it into a strong point, teaching children to appreciate their pets and take the time to play with them, take care of them. It also shows how owning a pet enriches your life - loyalty, companionship. The story just melts your heart - and i'm not a heart-melting kind of person! (no worries, in the end it's a happy story!) The drawings are what first attracted me. They're beautiful and so true-to-life. I was chuckling out loud, seeing that the images so resembled the funny poses my own dog gets into. This is a great purchase for any children who have their own pets and for any adult dog (or animal) lover out there. I highly recommend this book!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lucky Indeed!, April 4, 2004

By 

Andrea Mauk (Los Angeles, California United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lucky Boy (Hardcover)

The first thing that attracted me to the book Lucky Boy was the artwork - beautiful pencil drawings, gorgeous strokes that create unique patterns and texture within the scenes. The drawings were subtle, not over-the-top cartoons screaming with color. It was a nice change.

Then, I read the story, and found it to be a heartwarming tale about a dog and a man, both lonely until they find one another . The story is as gentle as the illustrations. I can't say much for the Gustin family, because as a dog lover, I can't imagine having a dog that I didn't pay attention to. It was almost unbelievable to think that a famiIy could see their missing dog and not run to rescue him. I felt sorry for Boy, so lonely and forgotten in the barren backyard. I was glad when he began to dig, and celebrated when he dug into the yard of Mr. Miller, a person who would never treat him as anything but a very special friend, Bravo to Susan Boase for putting such a genuine story down on paper. It seems that while everyone does better when their loved, some of us get trapped by the good intentions of others who mean to do nice things for us but never find the time. Hooray for Boy who dug his way into the yard and heart of someone ready to love him wholeheartedly.