23 Dogs and 1 Cat
How One Class Came to the Rescue
A real story of kid power. A classroom of second graders writes persuasive letters from the pets’ points of view—and helps 24 hard-to-place animals find their forever homes.
Reviews
“Longtime collaborators Larson and Nethery work their magic again with this true story of a class of second graders. Ruby wakes up with an inspiration for the class writing project: write letters to help animals at a local shelter get adopted… The book ends with quotes from the actual adults and students that carried out this unique service project. Artist Phuong’s illustrations use soft textures, rounded shapes, and an appealing pastel palette to capture the diverse bunch of ‘Kid Power’ students as they earnestly carry out Ruby’s vision. Some spreads include recreations of the second graders’ art and letters beside the smiling pets… VERDICT This excellent example of narrative nonfiction centers empathy, community service, and making a difference. Pair with the authors’ previous animal-centric titles.”
“A celebration of empathy and collaboration, inspired by a real-life elementary school writing project. Second grader Ruby has an inspired idea for a class project: writing letters to ‘help all the shelter pets get forever homes.’ Ruby and her classmates write letters as if they were the animal hoping to be adopted and illustrate a portrait of each pet… Backmatter includes statements from the students who took part in the original project, as well as their teacher and the shelter director. A happy reminder that anyone can make a difference.”
Forthcoming
