"MacLachlan delivers yet another understated, quietly inspirational chapter book with this tale.... This is tailor-made for beginning readers looking for a gentle handling of powerfully felt emotions."

– Booklist

* "Beautifully told, quietly moving and completely satisfying."

– Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"MacLachlan crafts an elegantly spare novel about the healing power of dogs and love.... A graceful and quiet narrative with keen observations on how time and affection can remedy pain."

– Publishers Weekly

"MacLachlan shares with young audiences a touching story of compassion, trust, and patience. She weaves the themes of family and friendship throughout the narrative, peppering her well-paced plot with sufficient tension and avoiding an overdramatization of its climax. Like many of the author’s best stories, this one is told simply and gently with touches of light humor. The clear prose, combined with the brevity of the narrative, make the book an ideal selection for young readers, reluctant readers, and animal lovers everywhere. Children will feel satisfied as they discover that both dogs and boys can be rescued, and many will be pleasantly surprised that they can also rescue one another."

– School Library Journal