At Your Service

As a children’s book author, I first encountered Mack, a therapy dog five years ago at one of my author visits. I was truly overwhelmed by how well trained the dog was and by how much the children loved him. No matter how much those kids poked him, tugged on his hair or even rolled on his back, Mack was patient and gentle. He was a specially trained reading dog who sits with struggling readers as they read to him. What a positive impact that dog had on those kids! Reading to a dog has been proven to be much less intimidating for kids than reading to an adult.

Lola Goes to Work: A Nine-to-Five Therapy Dog ($16.99, Creston Books, Ages 3-8) is a non-fiction book about the daily life of a therapy dog told by the adorable dog herself. Lola, a five-pound Yorkshire Terrier, tells readers how hard she had to work to pass a test to be a therapy dog. The book shows Lola at work, visiting a senior center, putting smiles on the faces of the elderly and visiting a school, where children play with him and read to him.

The author and photographer of the book, Marcia Goldman, has 25 years of experience with therapy based programs. What a fascinating and rewarding job that must be. I’m glad she wrote this book because many people, both young and old, are unaware that therapy dogs even exist. They make people happy, make the lonely feel loved and give kids the confidence they need to read. The story is fun to read and since it is written from the viewpoint of the dog, it sure makes it extra cute.

This book would be fitting for any child and particularly a reluctant reader, who is sure to be inspired to read to a dog just like Lola. Read more about Reading Dogs at these websites and ask if your library participates in a Reading Dog program:

http://barkdogs.org

http://www.librarydogs.com

http://www.therapyanimals.org/R.E.A.D.html

– Reviewed by Debbie Glade