Rowan

We read Rowan when we were thinking about having a dog---it was our "dreaming of dog ownership" book. We adopted a Racing Greyhound, and so the issues covered in Rowan are very similar to the initial "fish out of water" feeling that retired Grey's have. The story shows the little girl empathizing with the pup when it's removed from everything it knows. It's also honest about her expectations and how disappointed she may be feeling at first when her puppy is afraid instead of playful. At the end there's no "too-sweet" resolution, but there is a nice beginning... and the little girl is satisfied with that--a start, a promise of the dog Rowan will become in the hint of a wag from the puppy's tail.

I read this book while desperately scouring my library for anything by Robin McKinley, and was mildly surprised to find that it was a child's picture book. Still, it was as well-written as anything by McKinley, and I would recommend it to anyone to read to their children.