Book Review Quick Hits: "The Poet's Dog" by Patricia MacLachlan
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| Check out a copy of The Poet's Dog from the BPL today. |
And we sleep for the last time together—
In a heap—
In front of the fireplace—
In the quiet cabin.
The Poet’s Dog by Patricia MacLachlan is the kind of story that the phrase “Children’s Literature” was invented for.
Despite its brevity, this book is full of power and wonder—the kind of book that only takes thirty minutes to read but sticks to your ribs like a bowl of oatmeal on a cold morning.
Lost in a blizzard, two young siblings (Flora and Nickel) are rescued by Teddy, a rescued Irish Wolfhound by his friend and companion, Sylvan the Poet.
Teddy learned how to speak and communicate clearly after spending so much time living in a cabin in the woods with such a poetic soul.
Of course, this only applies to those with the ears to hear, or as MacLachlan delineates:
Dogs speak words
But only poets and children
Hear
Teddy discovers the children freezing in a snowbank after they were in a car accident. Their mother left them in the car while she went for help.
But after a long time, waiting scared and shivering in the car, Floral and Nickel set out into the woods on their own.
Teddy takes them back to the cabin where he and Sylvan live, and the children—grateful and curious—quickly wonder where Sylvan is.
Why is Teddy all alone in the storm, too?
Stuck in the storm for nearly a week, the three become friends and confidants.
Nickel keeps the fire going and shovels paths for Teddy to use for his restroom trips. Flora cooks up leftover food from the pantry and freezer. Teddy teaches the children about love and friendship.
This is a small but beautiful book and full of big lessons about loss and responsibility. It is a great choice for staying cozy with your family on a cold day, contemplating the transient nature of life.
Stop by the Powderly Branch, another Birmingham Public Library location, or other members of the Jefferson County Library Cooperative to pick up your copy today.
Caleb Calhoun is a Library Assistant Ⅱ at the Powderly Branch Library and holds a leadership role with Bards and Brews, the Birmingham Public Library’s poetry performance series. You can reach him at Caleb.Calhoun@COBPL.ORG.
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