A Helping Paw

Charlie the Ranch Dog

By: Ree Drummond

              Have you ever had a pet that was always be your side?  Or have you ever wished your pet could lend a helping hand?  In this fantasy fiction book set on ranch, Charlie is always helping out in any way possible. Charlie’s biggest problem is that he loves to sleep and be lazy while continuing to help. Suzie who is Charlie’s best friend is very energetic and also loves to help around the ranch. Suzie is usually swift and on her paws with getting the task accomplished that Charlie often falls short of. Although Charlie usually gets beat with being the first to the task, his talent of being lazy does come into play later in the story.  

              The first and main element that makes this a fantasy fiction is Charlie the talking dog. This first-person narrative is used to give his view of the situation.  As the protagonist, he discusses his constant struggle with Suzie, the antagonist, with getting the job done first.  The plot thickens when Charlie falls asleep and misses important happenings taking place on the ranch. In his constant struggle to be first on the job, the theme shows young children that it’s not always about being first that matters, it’s about being helpful and patient in life. The style is written to the way a child would think with constant setting changes. Also this makes the young children engaged in the book while keeping their focus.  Throughout this book irony is used through the text and also through the illustrations. “After breakfast I usually go help mama in her vegetable garden. Mama loves her garden.  I don’t really understand all the fuss. I’d prefer a bacon garden myself. But I go ahead and lend a hand anyway.” In order to find out how Charlie's talent comes into play, you might just have to go and read yourself!

“This is a great book for teaching a moral in a fun way. Just about everyone in their life has wished they had a talking pet and younger children want a pet at this age. And who doesn't love a good story about a sweet loving dog.”-Dianne

“I enjoyed reading this book because of the style it was written to make it fun to read to younger children with wonderful expression. I also think it would expose children to a different rural culture that some children living in the city may not experience.”-Mallory