A boy without a dog and a dog without an owner find each other in this powerfully moving story of loneliness and redemption. Day after day, Cody watches Bones roam the streets. No one else thinks the old stray is special, but Cody does. He knows the dog is alone now. He watched them tear down the blue house where Bones used to live with an old man. Cody knows how it feels to lose someone too. Slowly—cautiously—Cody opens his home and his heart to the scruffy dog with one blue eye and one brown. Inspired by the true story reported in the New York Times about a homeless dog in a suburban New York neighborhood, Deborah Blumenthal tells an affecting story of coming to terms with loss and learning to love again. Adam Gustavson's full-color illustrations highlight the emerging relationship between a lonely boy and the dispirited dog who captures his attention, and finally, his heart. Gr 1-4–A boy mourning the death of his dog watches a neighborhood stray whose blue house was torn down. Everyone says the skinny dog that Cody calls Bones is nothing special, but first-person free verse and oil paintings indicate that he will help the child heal. Although the dog still cries softly when he passes the site of the old blue house “where the old man stopped living,” Bones trusts Cody. He stays in the boy's house a little longer each day, takes walks with Cody, and eventually accepts a new name, Blue, and a blue bandana to wear around his neck. As the physical distance between boy and dog closes, the realistic illustrations gradually include more light and brighter colors. This gentle story may help pet owners following a loss and also illuminates the caring qualities that lead to trust, healing, and friendship. Julie R. Ranelli, Queen Anne's County Free Library, Stevensville, MD © Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Stories abound about stray animals; this one effectively and sensitively deals with the topic and doesn’t shy away from difficult truths about homeless pets and bereavement. Once his owner dies, Bones roams the streets until young Cody acknowledges his grief over losing his own pet and persuades Bones to trust him. Perceptive art and emotive, free verse–style text work well together to demonstrate growth; Cody is shown as a young boy when he is thinking back about his old dog and as a more mature kid when he tries to help Bones. Bones himself looks a bit too good to be true; he is described as very thin, a mix of German shepherd and “something else,” but in the artwork he appears to be a healthy, purebred German shepherd. Nevertheless, this is a realistic portrayal of what kids may experience when befriending a stray animal, and it offers a gentle introduction to coping with loss, both human and canine. The redemptive power of friendship is beautifully shown on the last spread, as boy and dog walk side by side. Grades K-3. --Diane Foote "Perceptive art and emotive, free verse-style text work well together. . . The redemptive power of friendship is beautifully shown. . . " —Booklist "Sensitively constructed oil paintings communicate the anxious fear of the stray dog as well as the boy's earnest attempts to help. . . dog lovers will enjoy the story of this helpful boy and his newfound canine companion." —Kirkus Reviews "Lyrical prose and Gustavson's lush paintings have the impact of a documentary film. . . emotions are raw and authentic, while the way in which they're delivered is elegant-a potent combination." —Publishers Weekly "This gentle story may help pet owners following a loss and also illuminates the caring qualities that lead to trust, healing, and friendship." —School Library Journal Deborah Blumenthal is an award-winning journalist and author of children's books and young adult and adult novels. She has been a regular contributor to the New York Times and her stories have appeared in many other newspapers and national magazines including New York's Daily News, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Woman's Day, Family Circle, Self, and Vogue. She lives in New York. Adam Gustavson holds an MFA from the School of Visual Arts and a BFA from Rowan University and has taught at Seton Hall University and Philadelphia's University of the Arts. He is the award-winning illustrator of over thirty books for children. He lives, paints, teaches, and plays music in his home state of New Jersey, along with his charming family and a neurotic poodle. Used Book in Good Condition