Inside: A review of The Dog Who Found Christmas. A beautiful book for young kids.
Introducing one of my all-time favourite Christmas stories for kids: The Dog Who Found Christmas!
This is such a beautiful little book that I’ve read it to my class every year for what seems like forever. It’s definitely an oldie but goodie.
Title: The Dog Who Found Christmas
Author: Linda Jennings
Illustrator: Catherine Walters
Publisher: Dutton Children’s Books, 1993
Themes: Dogs, Pets, Compassion, Empathy
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Opening Lines:
“When Buster was a little puppy, he had to leave his mother and go to a new home. At first, his new family petted him and called him cute. But as Buster grew from a puppy into a little dog, things began to go wrong.”
Synopsis:
This special book is all about a sweet dog (just look at that face!) called Buster, who grows up to be not quite the adorable puppy he was when he was little.
His family abandons him on Christmas Eve. Yes! This part is definitely sad and all the kids are wide-eyed and worried at the beginning of the book.
But it has a VERY happy ending and is worth reading.
Why I LOVE It:
This is a story that young children can easily relate to. Everyone feels so sad for Buster when he’s heartlessly dumped on the side of a road. I think it’s important for kids to know what can happen to animals if they’re not properly loved and cared for. This book is an excellent springboard into discussions about having compassion for all creatures.
Book-Related Activities:
- Grand Conversation: Talk to the kids about what the family could have done instead of abandoning their pet. There are so many more humane solutions and you’ll be surprised at how many great ideas your kids will come up with (i.e., learn how to be a better pet owner, train Buster how to behave, give him to someone else, sell him). After your discussion you could have your students draw a picture showing a kinder solution to Buster’s situation.
- SPCA Field Trip: Phone up your local SPCA and arrange a field trip OR invite them into your classroom to talk to the kids about the responsibilities involved when looking after a pet.
- The American Kennel Club has 75 suggestions for being a responsible dog owner.
- The BC SPCA has a number of free lessons you can download. There’s one for K-2 students called Kindness Counts which focusses on empathy, caring and respect for animals.
- Cesar’s Way has lots of quick, easy, and healthy dog treat recipes. My dog would go absolutely crazy over the frozen peanut butter yogurt treats.
- If you’re trying to train your dog, Your Dog Advisor has a collection of the best treats ever!
- And here’s an awesome resource from Better Pet where you can learn all about properly caring for your dog or cat during the winter months.
Looking for more Christmas ideas? Be sure to CLICK HERE for tons of ideas!
You can also find some more great Christmas books by clicking on the button below (this is a linky by First Grade Found Me).
Happy Reading!
Check out all my book reviews for kids!
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With your love of dogs, it is no surprise that you love this book :)sandirubberboots and elf shoes
My class loves this book! I read part of it and stopped and now they are taking turns taking it home to finish! With my tiny class of only ten, I can do that!Jenny
What a sweet sounding book! He does look adorable. :)LoriConversations in Literacy
We have this book! And it is one of our favorites too!! I was very sad and afraid for Buster, but happy in the end. This is a book we like to read at school. Makes the kids think. thanks for reviewing it!
This sounds like a cute/sad story with a great lesson! 🙂
Thanks for linking up with this great book, Barb. It sounds like one that would make me cry but one I'd dearly love at the same time.ChrissyFirst Grade Found Me
I love animal books with a lesson. Especially ones that don't make it obvious I'm learning. 🙂
Have you read A Dog's Life by Ann Martin? A must read for dog lovers! Also a great read aloud for 1st and up!
Isn't it funny how what we think doesn't always match the ratings on Amazon? I sometimes find myself double-thinking my love for a book, then I decide to ignore those and refer anyway. Thanks for the lead on another Christmas treasure!Barbara
I love this book too! Such a great message for the kiddo especially around the holiday season :)If you have time, stop by my blog and check out my giveaway!Thanks,SarahThe Fabulous First Grade