It’s kind of a stretch to call Good Dog. Stay a book. It’s only about 90 pages in length. And more than half the pages are pictures.
It is a story about a dog’s life. A eulogy for a loyal companion.
There is a lot of truth in this short book. Quindlen weaves the story of her family into the phases of her dog’s life, and there is much we can all relate to.
It is a very touching story. As others i’ve talked to about this book have said, it reminded me of my own dog.
Two of my favorite quotes from the book:
“There are few things more pitiable than the sight of a full grown Labrador with only his tail and his back end visible from beneath the dust ruffle on the bed.” This SO describes our dog.
“Any parents who believe that they themselves will not wind up walking the dog the most, if not all, of the time – especially in a downpour or sleet storm – are parents who will also believe that there is no homework over winter break and that the cigarettes belonged to someone else.” This made me laugh because my mom always got after us kids about not taking care of the dog like we were supposed to. And she also believed the cigarettes belonged to someone else.
I think most dog lovers will enjoy this book.