The Soldier’s Dog
Doreen Norberg, Author and Illustrator
Xlibris Corporation, Fiction, 2010
Suitable for: Ages 4 and up
Themes: Therapy Dogs, Friendship, Healing
Opening/Synopsis: “Otis was a little Pug puppy who lived in a place called the Puppy Patch. On day, the lady who took care of Otis had a long talk with him. She told him, “Otis, I have an important mission for you. There is a young soldier a long way from here who is in need of a friend. This soldier’s mother has chosen you to help her son.” This is a story about a young soldier who returns from war and has difficulty adjusting to everyday life. Otis travels on a plane almost 2,000 miles away from home. The soldier and Otis develop a warm and strong bond. The soldier needs Otis as much as Otis needs the love and friendship of the soldier. He bought Otis a camouflage collar, to match his own uniform. One day the soldier begins to smile again.
Why I like this story: Animals have a healing impact on individuals. They provide emotional support and healing when other approaches don’t work. It is a reminder to us how important and beneficial an animal relationship can be to a person who has been damaged, particularly by war. The author has done a lovely job of telling this story. Her illustrations a colorful and bold. She has donated a part of the proceeds of this book to The Good Dog Foundation, where dogs are trained to help humans heal.
Resources: The Good Dog Foundation suggests that you have your child read to dogs. It’s a popular activity in the organization. It helps children with their reading skills, boosts their self-esteem and teaches them how to interact in a calm way with dogs.
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To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Books. Or click on the Perfect Picture Book Fridays badge in the right sidebar.
Children's Books Heal 
Dogs really are a man’s best friend. Great choice, Pat.
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Catherine, it makes sense that therapy dogs might help a soldier heal and adjust.
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Lovely looking book. Thanks, Patricia for all this wonderful, inspiration and compassion. Would love to do a feature on you on Plum Tree Books.
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Thank you Niamh. I’m open to your suggestion. We can talk when I get home.
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great!
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Neat book! I’ve always been a sucker for dogs, especially “working” dogs, as my kids call assistant animals. 🙂
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Thank you Michelle. Wanted to wrap up my month with the dogs helping soldiers.
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This book sounds wonderful, Pat. I love books about animal therapy. I’ve actually met a bunch of key people in The Good Dog Foundation – I was going to write a story for them at one point but it didn’t work out. Thanks for adding this one to our list!
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Susanna, therapy dogs was on my list too. I met a woman who trains dogs.
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I love pugs as high as love can go ( I would love to get one). I have read a bunch of books about dogs helping people, but I never thought about them helping service-people. My sister’s pet chinchilla is actually part of her therapy and it helps her with her self esteem.
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Erik, thanks for sharing about Josie’s dogs. That is so cool that a dog helps her with her self esteem.
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Sorry, I didn’t mean to make it sound like Josie had a dog, she has a chinchilla. It’s a rodent (kind of looks like half bunny and half squirrel), but it is part of her therapy (I like it too 😉 ). She takes very good care of it.
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HA! HA! Not a problem. All animals bring comfort and healing. It’s cool that they have included a pet in her therapy program.
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Yay – this book looks awesome! We had Sunny, a service dog, come with his Veteran to talk with our third graders this year – those animals are AmAzInG! And you’re spot on about their healing effect! Thanks, Pat!
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Barbara, that is exciting you had a veteran bring his service dog to school. Nice that your students learned so much.
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As our dog Toby patiently waits under his favorite coffee table for us to take him to the park, it is wonderful to see this book lifted up and the video from the Good Dog Foundation was wonderful. I’ve posted a link to this article to my Feel Good Friday series on Facebook.
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Thank you, Craig for posting this to your FB. It is a feel good book.
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Fantastic choice and heartwarming story. Our soldiers need love and dogs can give them that.
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Thanks Michael. I think it is a perfect match during the adjustment period.
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Dogs do heal. As well as other pets, I’m sure; I’m just partial to dogs. This sounds beautiful.
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Thank you for commenting. I am partial to dogs. I know a woman who trains therapy dogs. Right now she is training a lab for an autistic child.
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I love Oti’s sweet face on the cover. What a lovely story and important to realise how dogs can minister in this way. They even do on the field, too!
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I loved the cover. I debated whether to do a review about real soldier dogs in the field. Then decided to end my military family month with a therapy dog helping a soldier.
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You always choose the most unique books. I haven’t heard of The Good Dog foundation, but now am off to go check them out. Thanks, Pat!
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Am glad that you are interested in the Good Dog Foundation!
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What a face! Can’t wait to read it.
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Yes the cover does grab you. That face!
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What an excellent book, and a perfect one for you to end your month on. Thank you! (I’m a cat person myself, but can certainly see the value of the unconditional love of a dog to a person in such need of healing.)
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Thanks Beth. It did wrap wrap up my month.
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I already feel better just knowing about this book! Thank Pat and a hug to Otis.
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Cathy, thank you. Glad you liked Otis! Loved the face.
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Oh Patricia, this sounds like a heartwarming book. Thank you for sharing this. I am catching up on friends’ posts since my entire sensibilities have been consumed and wrapped around the recently concluded Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC) here in Singapore. Hope everything is well with you Pat!
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Myra, glad you liked the book! Know how you feel. I am so far behind on blogs after being gone. Forgive me for not reading your blog.
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Another wonderful resource! It’s amazing what the unconditional love of an animal can do for the soul. Thanks Pat!
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Kirsten, so pleased you liked my choice. Sometimes animals can do more to heal than we can.
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As Julie said…”What a face”.. just loved this book and can imagine our Buddy would have been a great dog for that kind of “work” very loving and gentle, if he was still alive. Great choice to end your series on Pat.
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Thank you Diane! Thought this brought my month to a close. That is nice to have a dog like that. You were lucky.
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I find therapy dogs fascinating – the effect these little creatures can have on us. Sounds like a great book.
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Thanks Ruth! It is a good book.
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Patricia…you always find books that are unique and special…and support your mission to help others in need. 🙂 This one is perfect…dogs (and other animals) can be trained to help in specific ways…but I think it is their loving nature and loyalty that are most precious!
Our local libraries have a program for reluctant readers who read books to dogs…I think there are many such programs across the country.
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Thanks Vivian! I never realized there were programs for reluctant readers to read to dogs. I just learned about it. When a kid has difficulty reading, it makes sense that they would find it helpful to read to a dog. Safe. No criticism.
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Yup! Dogs make the perfect audience…loyal and appreciative. 🙂
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Dogs and animals do have healing powers. I don’t know how I missed this one.
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Yes when I was injured, my dog never left my side. She knew. But, I liked that dogs are being used to help soldiers.
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