One Dog and His Boy

By: Eva Ibbotson

Narrated by: Steven Crossley

Hal's parents refuse to consider a dog. Then they discover Easy Pets, a dog-rental agency. Terrier Fleck arrives on Hal's birthday, but when Hal discovers that his dog must be returned, he runs away. A large reward is offered for the missing boy, and soon they are being chased across the country. Helped by a travelling circus and sympathetic children from an orphanage, they race for their freedom.

©2011 Eva Ibbotson (P)2012 W F Howes Ltd

More than just a dog story

Fleck is a new breed of dog - a "Totteham Terrier". Well, not really but that is what Kaylie tells the owners of the rent a dog business where she works so that they will allow the little stray to stay. So when Hal comes with his dad, thinking he finally getting the dog he has always wanted,the dog and the boy find each other. It is love at first sight. This is a wonderful story of love (between human and animal)and adventure,including a circus,detectives,evil characters,orphans,monks with a truly happy ending for all.

The narrator did a great job, making this a great listen. I listened to it with my students in mind but I think even adults would enjoy this story. Ibbotson is one of my favorite authors.

Pleasant laidback story for younger children

What does Steven Crossley bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Steven Crossley is a great narrator for this book. Like most Eva Ibbotson books (for children), this one is a light story of adventure with the good people winning and the greedy people getting their comeuppance - in this story, there are also greedy people who redeem themselves. Steven Crossley's tone perfectly matches that of the book.

Any additional comments?

I would recommend this feel-good adventure story to anyone who has enjoyed previous Eva Ibbotson books like "The Haunting of Granite Falls" or "Which Witch" or some of her other works that are more light-hearted. While I enjoyed the story, I am familiar with her type of characters, and her protagonists sometimes tend to be overwhelmingly "good". In "One Dog and His Boy", it's been very well done and I really like the main characters, and one of the nicest things about Eva Ibbotson books is that very often the "bad" people are depicted with a touch of ridiculous humor, and that makes them a lot more appealing. This book was really a great last gift from Eva Ibbotson.