A Place for Grace (Paperback)

by Jean Davies Okimoto (Author), Doug Keith (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
This pooch is in disgrace. Poor Grace's dreams of becoming a seeing-eye dog have been rudely squelched: she's too small. Expelled from training school, she saves a boy who darts out into the path of an oncoming fire engine and is promptly collared for the Hearing Dog program. This time her size is an asset, as hearing dogs must be able to spring lightly into the air to alert their deaf owners to sounds. But Grace mixes up the microwave beep with the doorbell and completely flunks Wake Up class (she jumps on the bed and goes to sleep at the sound of the alarm clock). Determined to help her graduate, her new owner cleverly personalizes her training and "snooze-alarm Grace" finally succeeds in becoming an official hearing dog. On one level, Okimoto's brisk and buoyant tale is a valuable lesson in the rewards of hard work and persistence; on another, it deals matter-of-factly with some of the hurdles facing the hearing-impaired, and introduces young readers to American Sign Language (the alphabet for which is detailed on the endpapers). Keith's droll illustrations blend fanciful and realistic touches to make the most of a sprightly four-footed heroine. Ages 4-up.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

Grace is a little dog with big dreams. After discovering she's too small to become a seeing-eye dog, she meets Charlie, a deaf man who believes Grace would make the ideal hearing-aid dog. Grace provides an inspiring model for any child facing obstacles at school or at home. It can also help children appreciate people with disabilities and give readers the opportunity to learn the American Sign Language alphabet.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Sasquatch Books (February 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157061069X
• ISBN-13: 978-1570610691
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,839,706 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finding Grace, September 20, 2000

By	judy terrell (Evansville, IN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Place for Grace (Library Binding)

The picture on the cover of the book caught my eye. I was in the waiting room of an audiologist's office looking through a catalog. My husband and I ride bicyles and we had just returned from a visit to San Francisco. While in San Fransisco, I saw a book about how to select the right breed of dog to suit you personalities and had decided we would look for a poodle. There it was, all together! A dog looking like a poodle riding in a basket on a bicycle with it's master with the Golden Gate Bridge and skyline of San Francisco in the background. My hearing was gone. (had declined from hard of hearing to deaf in about two years) I was going to be evaluated for a coclear implant and was in the market for a hearing dog. We had lived in San Francisco and I enjoyed the references to certain locations as Grace worked her way through the streets. I had researched schools for training service dogs and could imagine what it was like for Grace to try to learn special commands for deaf people. She passed the tests on responding to the sounds a deaf person would not hear such as doorbell, microwave, smoke alarm and phone, but had trouble reacting to the alarm clock without jumping in bed and dropping off to sleep. After much effort and some modifications, she was able to graduate and become a full-fledged hearing dog.

My Grace is two years old now. She is an unofficial hearing dog in that I chose not to have her go through the intensive training required to be a service dog. I have a cochlear implant and rely on her to alert me to emergencies through the night when my device is turned off and if my husband is away. She travels with us and is loved by all who meet her. She has never been denied access, a privilege we use discriminately. And yes, she jumps in bed with us and goes right to sleep.

It was after finding this book that I was able to find my Grace and return to the hearing world-AMAZING!