Just a Dog (review)

When Corey and his family decide to get a puppy, they end up with Mister Mosely (whose name comes from the fact that he’s “mostly” white), who turns out to be a big gangling goof and the heart of Corey’s family. Each short chapter focuses on something special about Mister Mosely—a characteristic he had (a phobia about the family’s huge stuffed Pink Panther toy) or a memorable Mosely event (when he became anxiously solicitous of Corey’s mom—who, it turned out, was pregnant), finishing with a cliff-hanging tease for the next chapter. The episodic structure, Corey’s accessible narration, and the appealing subject make this useful for reading aloud as well as reading alone. There’s definitely a touch of elegy throughout that foreshadows the sad conclusion from the beginning, and the overall story of a dog well loved is an effective tearjerker. Australian author Bauer has a jovial oldschool approach, with boy and dog running genteelly at large and the occasional bit of fisticuffs part of the landscape, but he’s got a contemporary sensibility in the underlying story of a family under considerable strain when the breadwinner loses his job and a baby’s on the way. It’s genre fiction, but it’s executed well and the genre is popular for a reason, so be prepared with Kleenex for kids weeping over the wonderful Mister Mosely.