Old Dog Cora and the Christmas Tree

I have bought a Christmas book for my daughter each year since she was a little girl. She is now 26 and I continue the tradition. This year I bought her a copy of Old Dog Cora and the Christmas Tree. My daughter also loves dogs, so this was a perfect fit...Christmas/Dogs! I loved the illustrations particularly. They reminded me of an art-deco style. I loved the story even more. I believe the moral of this story which would be relevant to a person at any age is that regardless of a person, (or dogs) age, that the life of that being matters. Every living being is valuable and every creature can contribute something to this life. I hope that someday my daughter will read her Christmas books, this one included, to her children and that they will love them as much as she has!

This is my favorite Christmas story featuring a dog.The spirit of the season is love and understanding,and that is shown so eloquently as Cora is not left out of the annual pulling of the Christmas tree sleigh in spite of her aging body. She is allowed to have her traditional role,but without the weight of the sleigh on her harness, sparing her from overexertion,or worse---from failure. It is a beautiful lesson in compassion and in the importance of feeling useful and needed, especially as we age. And if you have ever loved an aging dog, this story will bring a tear to your eye. This book is worth seeking out despite its out of print status.

I had purchased a book, "The Wreck of the Ethie" that my 11 year old son had absolutely loved. It was recommended to read by a list from Courtney Lewis. Since the entire family had enjoyed that book so much, we decided to try "Old Dog Cora". We were not disappointed The illustrations were lovely and the story heart-warming. This book is a welcome addition to our family library.

Consie Powell should be commended for this fabulous work. The pages filled with her woodcut illustrations could be framable art, and they truly enhance the compelling story. Cora, the oldest of three Newfoundlands, wants to help with pulling the annual Christmas tree home on a sled, but her people won't let her! They don't understand her attempts to help. This would be a great book to discuss the importance of inclusion and how sometimes people (and dogs) can misunderstand each other. The Newf enthusiast will appreciate the artistic depictions of this noble breed.

A quick read doesn't do this "child's book" justice. The little ones will want to hear it again and again. The illustrations as well as the story will appeal to them. As an adult, I see that Old Dog Cora is confronting the same situation that many humans do; put out to pasture too soon---AND CORA WON'T LET IT HAPPEN!! You don't have to be a dog lover to appreciate this story! Hope there's more to come from this very sensitive & gifted author/illustrator. The age recommendation should be 2 yrs (illustrations) to 99 yrs (story)!!