Sunday 19 March 2017

Grover Finds a Home



I had never heard of this book (or indeed this series) until Grover Finds a Home showed up on the Readings Children's Book Prize Shortlist for 2017. A lost dog story is always welcome for me, and it was the shortest of the shortlisted books and easy to slip in as a quick read during my week of comfort reads.

Grover Finds a Home is such a lovely story- imaginatively told from Grover's point of view. Grover is living a terrible life, always chained in a backyard, neglected, abused and mistreated by the Man with Big Boots. One night he escapes terrified during a thunderstorm and is picked up and taken to an animal shelter. He is malnourished, sick and has infected, sore ears but he wins over Annie, a worker at the shelter who decides to take him home.


He couldn't believe how nice it felt to rest his tired bones on a soft bed, in a warm house, with a full belly. This was all he'd ever wanted. 


Picture Source


With lovely illustrations by Johannes Leak Grover Finds a Home is perfect for beginner readers and any animal loving child. Master Wicker would have loved this as a read aloud bedtime story way back when. There are three books so far in the Grover McBane Rescue Dog series- Grover Finds a Home, Grover's New Friends and Grover, Benji and Nanna Jean.

Like any modern personality Grover McBane has his own instagram account. Somewhat dispiritingly he gets about more than I do. We have two rescue dogs at the Wicker house, both sitting with me right now.


They're almost impossible to photograph, Especially together.


 These are from last winter. Basking in the sun at the door.

Claire Garth is the General Manager of Sydney Dogs and Cats Home, a large council pound and non-kill animal shelter in Southern Sydney. It has been in operation since 1946 and is currently on a major fundraising drive as they need to raise $3 million for a purpose built facility.

Mamamia did an interesting profile on Claire Garth and Grover McBane encouraging us all to get a rescue dog. It is a life changing decision- for both of you. 


http://australianwomenwriters.com

1 comment:

Allison said...

Thank you for adopting two dogs who needed homes! Grover Finds a Home sounds like as if it both has a positive message and makes for an enjoyable read. The drawings look good too. I always enjoy a heartwarming animal rescue story too. Thanks for sharing.