Teodora's Book Reviews: “One dog and his boy” by Eva Ibbotson

I liked “One dog and his boy” by Eva Ibbotson. This book will steal your whole attention and, who knows, maybe your dog (if you have one)... You’re going to be off to one cool adventure!
The fun begins with the title. That is so unusual... Everyone says “One boy and his dog”, not “One dog and his boy”...
Hal is the main character. He is the boy who wants a dog. But when his mum said, “Think of the mess: hairs on the carpet and scratch marks on the door and the smell... Not to mention puddles on the floor!”, I felt sorry for Hal. I was angry with Hal’s mother. She only cared about her house to be clean every time. I realized that mum didn’t do the right thing, to ignore Hal’s request, especially on his birthday!
Well, to tell you the truth, Hal finally got his most wanted dog... but for only three days! The dog came from Easy Pets Agency, a place where people took dogs for a while. The dog’s name was Fleck. Hal and Fleck were now best friends! I was so happy of this new lovely friendship!
Believe it or not, Hal and Fleck ran away from home, so they could be together. They headed to Hal’s grandparents’ house. Pippa, one of Hal’s friends, and four dogs from the Easy Pets Agency joined them. There is one thing that surprised me... While I was reading, I found out this: “Hal was in high spirits.” I was a bit surprised. How could Hal be in high spirits when he was far away from his parents? This question stayed in my mind for a long time and I was sad when I read this: “Albina, Hal’s mother, was sitting by the telephone, waiting for some news from the police. She was as pale as death.” I felt sorry for everyone and I was having a relief that I never had such a situation with anyone!
Right, let’s go on... There is another thing that impressed me. It’s something that I think most readers will not give much attention to... In this adventure with the dogs and the two friends, something nice happened: each dog found its favorite place! “Francine gave a last, heart-rending howl. Then she turned away from Rupert and raced after the kids”; “Honey whined and looked up at him and licked his hand. Looking back over her shoulder at Selby, she followed Pippa out of the door”; “Otto made no fuss. He only moaned once, and pushed his muzzle against abbot’s robe. Then he turned and followed the children out of the door”; “Li-Chee stood trustingly in front of her. He already loved her. She had chosen him and he had chosen her.” All these remarks make you observe something: all those dogs found perfect masters, but still, they refuse to stay with them, knowing that it’s fun to stay with Hal, Fleck and Pippa! But I was happy when, in the end, the dogs returned to their favorite places!
I liked this book because it presents the short life of a dog and his master. All this adventure, all this running away from home, just for two friends, Hal and Fleck, to be together? This is impressive! It’s like the author Eva Ibbotson said: “A dog who belongs to somebody forever is a dog who is free.”
What can I say? I like dogs (especially puppies). But I still prefer cats (hi-hi-hi)! :)