I can't imagine growing up without a dog. Having a dog helps children learn responsibility and provides them with a loyal friend for many years to come. In addition, the proper care of a dog can be easily translated into the proper way to respect and treat other people as the child grows up.

Catch That Collie is a wonderful introduction to the joys and responsibilities of dog ownership for children. The family in this story is thrilled when they bring their collie puppy Raja home, but they have a lot to learn about taking care of him -- especially when it comes to keeping him from running off on his own. (Raja is trying to find his best friend from the animal shelter.) We follow along as the family learns from their mistakes and becomes better and more responsible dog owners.

Scott Motley's illustrations do a wonderful job of reflecting Raja's story, as told simply and eloquently by author Tarrin P. Lupo.

The plight of so many homeless dogs is one of great importance to me, and this book does a wonderful job of describing the joys that a shelter dog can bring to someone's life. While I don't think I could bring myself to have a dog spayed or neutered (I don't want to do anything to my dog that I wouldn't want done to myself), I understand its importance in reducing the number of dogs that live miserable, short lives because they aren't able to find a Forever Home. That point, plus a final summary of dog ownership tips, is communicated very well in this book.

Catch That Collie would certainly make for entertaining and educational reading for any young child that is just learning the ropes of canine care and companionship.