title: The Great Dog Disaster (The Great Critter Capers)
author:  Katie Davies 
description: Gr 3-5-Nine-year-old Anna and Suzanne are best friends. When Suzanne's Great-Aunt Deidra leaves Suzanne's mother a dog in her will, both girls are excited. When the Newfoundland arrives, she is old, smelly, and depressed. Suzanne and Anna try everything to make Beatrice more appealing, putting her in diapers, brushing her teeth, and bathing and perfuming her, but nothing works. Bad goes to worse when she accidentally catches Misty, a small, yappy dog, in her mouth. Misty's owner, a cantankerous old lady, threatens to have the animal put down. When Suzanne's parents agree, the girls and Anna's five-year-old brother decide to hide Beatrice from everyone. Humorous instances occur throughout the story, yet not enough to carry the insubstantial plot or to appeal to a wide range of readers. Davies uses side boxes to define more-difficult words such as "disaster" and "guillotine," yet she continually uses the grammatical disaster "me and Suzanne," to the point of nails-on-a-chalkboard annoyance. Beatrice redeems herself at the close of the story, and cartoonlike black-ink illustrations offer interest, but not enough to save this unimaginative plot.-D. Maria LaRocco, Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville, OH(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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  ![cover.jpg](../Images/cover.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  HEARTLIGHT
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _To Currie_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I: The Mystery of the Morpho
  
  
  
  
  
  Kate spun around when she heard the crash.
  
  
  
  
  
  "Cumberland!"
  
  
  
  
  
  The golden retriever had Grandfather pinned on the kitchen floor. She dashed
  over and pulled the dog away, but not before he gave his victim one last
  slobbery kiss.
  
  
  
  
  
  "Cumberland!" scolded Kate. "No jumping on Grandfather!"
  
  
  
  
  
  "Nonsense," grumbled the old man as he painfully regained his feet. "I'm
  eighty years old and I've had a lot of practice falling. He's just keeping me
  in shape."
  
  
  
  
  
  "Are you sure you're all right?"
  
  
  
  
  
  Grandfather reached shakily for the arm of the rocker. He steadied himself,
  then slid into the seat. Pushing a tangle of white hair off his forehead, he
  glared at the dog.
  
  
  
  
  
  "You will be the death of me, Cumberland."
  
  
  
  
  
  The dog padded over to the chair and nuzzled his leg affectionately. Heedless
  of any scorn, he assumed a dignified posture by the old m