Owney, The Mail-Pouch Pooch - Mona Kerby

Illustrator: Lynne Barasch
For: Kids K-3
Published: April, 2008
Rating: 3.5/5
Read: Today
Endpapers: Drawings of 14 dogtags from different North American cities

This appears to be a true story, although the whole time I was reading it I didn't know that - and considered it quite far-fetched. And, for some reason I seem to be on a cute-dog roll.

In 1888, in Albany, New York, a homeless, starving terrier finds his way into the post office and fell asleep on a mail bag. He wouldn't leave, and became instantly attached to mail bags and postmen dressed in blue uniforms. He became a resident of the post office. But, before long, he hopped the train with the mail and began making his way across the country, returning occasionally to the Albany post office. Wherever he went he seemed to find the post offices, and people would attach new identifying tags to his collar. A harness was put around him to more evenly distribute the weight of the tags. After traveling all over the US for many years, Owney was getting old. So his "many friends" purchased him a trip around the world. Which he did - still all by himself.

A current-day US map is included in a two-page illustration.

This was very difficult to believe and I was rollling my eyes as I read, still not knowing that this was based on a true story. The author says she researched extensively. Now THAT'S the book I'd like to read - let's include some of the research, some of the newspaper articles - this is what appeals to my primary-and-secondary-source brain. I must admit, it's an interesting story, as difficult to believe as it is.... She also says that there are a couple of stories about how Owney got his name. I wish she'd given some clue to this in the text, since I wondered about this unusual name all through my reading.

An aside: Mona Kerby teaches at McDaniel College and lives in Westminster, Md. I drive by the college and through the town on my way back to BWI - I always stop to fill my rental car gas tank in Westminster on my way TO the airport, and run into MacDonald's for a much needed Diet Coke on my way FROM the ariport.