Jack is a dog with a purpose in life—to herd sheep. He is, after all, a border collie. Herding sheep:

was tricky, but when you got the sheep going the way they were supposed to, like a big muddy gray river rolling across the land, you were happy inside. It was better than a good meal, better than a rubdown . . . When the sheep were right, you had that deep down good feeling that you were making a difference. You were doing what you were meant to do, what you believed in, what you were really good at.

Unfortunately, Jack’s sheep-herding days are cut short. When his owner’s ranch burns, everything left is sold off, including Jack. The collie ends up at a pet shop where he is bought for a little girl who wants to dress him in doll clothes. To Jack, the situation was intolerable. "It was a bad matchup, that’s all, me and them. They needed a sit-around dog, a lie-in-your-lap dog, not a sheepherder like me." So over the fence he goes and out into the wide world.

Life on the street, Jack soon realizes, is full of danger. He roams, constantly on the hunt for food. One day he smells the "distinct scent of something rank and wooly." He races toward the smell only to find . . . goats. "They were harnessed all together in a long line, pulling a wagon with a little red house that sat sort of sideways on top." Thus begins Jack’s association with the gray-bearded Goat Man. The man, who is traveling north along the highway, is something of a philosopher. From him, Jack learns a thing or two about the world and the people in it.  

When the Goat Man dies, Jack is on his own again. After spending some time in the company of hobos, Jack is caught and put in the dog pound. His life takes a terrible turn when he is adopted by a cruel man who operates "Billy’s Big and Happy Circus." The operation, Jack soon finds out, is anything but happy. He is made to perform tricks and whipped when he doesn’t.

Once again, a fire changes the direction of Jack’s life.  He eventually ends up at The Good Shepherd Home for Boys, where to his dismay, there are no sheep—only orphans. There, Jack takes up with Luke, one of the residents. Alone in the world, both boy and dog long for a home. Will their wishes come true?

Hobbs does an extraordinary job of providing readers with a dogs-eye view of the world. Jack is an irresistible and wholly believable character.  

A high-interest, moving tale for all ages.

Highly recommended. District-wide purchase encouraged.

Reviewed by the teachers at Education Oasis
©2006 Education Oasis  http://www.educationoasis.com