I, Jack

Rating:
Summary: Hilarious Hound Hijinks
Review: If you've ever known a dog, you'll get a kick out of this book. I bought it for my 9 year old nephew and he has enjoyed reading chapters outloud to the rest of the family. And be sure to check out the footnotes written by Jack's feline sidekicks. Fun for all apedogs, large and small. Respect, Respect!

Rating:
Summary: May you laugh when you read I, JACK..
Review: Jack is a yellow Labrador retriever who has many adventures. He lives with his Packleader, Tom; his Pack Lady, Charlie; and their children, Terri, Pete and Mikey. Jack often likes to talk about his adventures, which include interpretive footnotes from the three cats that live with him. The cats' names are Remy, Maisie and Muskie. They call Jack "The Big Yellow Stupid" for reasons that are not always clear.

Jack's pack has new neighbors who move in next door. He's very excited to meet their girl dog, a pretty Samoyed named Petra. Petra is also excited to meet Jack, but her Pack Lady, Letitia, is not. Letitia's dislike for Jack creates a problem for Jack and Petra's new friendship; nevertheless, Jack soon finds himself thinking about Petra a lot.

Some time later, Jack is taken for Walkies to an old flour mill where his Packleader snaps pictures for a newspaper article about how important the mill is and why it shouldn't be torn down. Meanwhile, Jack decides to go for a swim in the pond around the mill, but has to be rescued by his Packleader when the pond proves too much for him. The next day, Tom stays in bed because of a cold, leaving Jack and his apepuppy friends, Pete and Mikey, to get into mischief. Jack is able to get through the neighbors' fence with Pete and Mikey's help; a romance soon develops between he and Petra, and they marry.

Unfortunately, our two lovebirds get into deep trouble when Jack's Pack Lady finds them scavenging for food. They decide to run off to the old mill; once there, Petra has Special Messages (puppies) and it is up to Jack to provide for them and keep them safe. But the pressure is on for Jack when his Packleader comes looking for him and ends up in an accident --- not to mention the unfriendly apedogs that seem to be visiting the mill at different times. Will Jack be able to save the day once again?

I think this is a good story for fans of Jack. New readers of Jack's adventures, like myself, may find it a little difficult to understand at first. Once you read the Jackspeak English glossary in the back of the book, though, the story becomes easier to understand. May you laugh when you read I, JACK.

--- Reviewed by Sarah Sawtelle (...)

Rating:
Summary: Delightful doggie point of view!
Review: What fun to experience the world through a dog's nose! Jack's narrative takes us on his adventures that center around his Pack of apedogs (human family) and the gorgeous girl dog that moves in next door. Jack expresses the full range of canine emotions from "happy dog" to "sad dog" which are tied closely to whether he is deemed "good dog" or "bad dog," and whether his tummy is full and is being rubbed.

Though he is not quite as brilliant as Lassie, this loveable Lab will make you laugh out loud by the way he interprets life. The resident cats, who only barely tolerate Jack, interject their own superior commentaries in the footnotes for clarification. Illustrations, along with a "Jackspeak" glossary at the back of the book are helpful.

Patricia Finney, Jack's interpreter, took her inspiration from her own pets, as well as Rudyard Kipling's "Thy Servant, A Dog," and also consulted books about dog psychology.