Ivan!
A Pound Dog's View on Life, Love, and Leashes
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
In his own voice, Ivan, a mixed-breed dog-philosopher with an extreme underbite and various other deformities, chronicles his life story with keen observations about his adopted family and the people he loves, covering the life events that touch us all. Throughout his life Ivan keeps plugging forward with optimism and faith, always striving to learn from his mistakes, believing that even as he is ultimately facing old age, disease, and death, life is all the more wonderful. To Ivan, love and relationships with people are what matters most, and that if a deformed pound dog like him can find love and acceptance, anyone can. His is a lively, humorous story of family, hope, and perseverance.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Following in the footsteps of Barbara Bush's Millie's Book, McHugh offers thoughts on life from the perspective of his family dog, Ivan. Ivan muses about his name, wondering if his master had the Russian Tsar, Ivan the Terrible in mind. However, as he notes: "Since people tell me that, in spite of how funny looking I am, I'm a good dog, let's just say that I'm Ivan the Good." He also offers his thoughts on a variety of subjects (views presumably shared by McHugh) from obedience training to breed snobbery, and the omnipresent leash that reminds him of a snake wriggling behind his back. Genuinely funny incidents abound, such as when Ivan climbs a rickety ladder and gets stuck in an attic. This appealingly simple debut book conveys the love of family and the joys of a life lived in harmony with nature.
