In the face of divorce, a young girl turns to the one constant in her life - her dog, Fred.
Nancy Coffelt is the author/illustrator of the several picture books. She began writing and painting children's books when she started a family of her own. Tricia Tusa has written and illustrated several acclaimed picture books.
K-Gr 3-Coffelt and Tusa have teamed up to create a charming book that meshes text and illustrations seamlessly. A young girl moves back and forth between her divorced parents' homes, along with her canine companion, Fred, who has several bad habits that neither parent appreciates. When the dog wears out his welcome at both homes, the child must forcefully remind the adults that, "Fred stays with me!" and help work out solutions for his naughty behavior. The story unfolds through the voice of the child: "Sometimes I live with my mom. Sometimes I live with my dad. My dog, Fred, stays with me." Her descriptions of what she does at each residence and Fred's constant affection and consistent bad behavior can be read independently by the intended audience. The text, for the most part, appears against a simple white backdrop. Tusa uses gold and brown hues with occasional splashes of red to create a warm tone. The narrator is drawn with a doll-like charm, but it is Fred, with his perky ears and perpetually wagging tail, that holds the most appeal.-Maura Bresnahan, High Plain Elementary School, Andover, MA Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
...a nice choice for pet-loving families, divorced or not, to share
."--Parent's Choice
A 2008 ALA Notable Children's Book---
*"...Coffelt offers a fresh, villain-free look at a split
family-and at a girl who finds strength, love and reassuring
consistency in the dear pooch who is all her own....A
gem."--Kirkus, starred review
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