Rate this book

Hooper Finds A Family: A Hurricane Katrina Dog's Survival Tale (2011)

by Jane Paley(Favorite Author)

3.87 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0062011030 (ISBN13: 9780062011039)

languge

English

genre

Middle Grade & Children's

publisher

HarperCollins

review 1: When Hurricane Katrina swept through New Orleans and busted the levees, over one-quarter of a million pets, from dogs to goldfish, were left behind as their families raced out of the path of destructive. Animal rescue workers spent countless hours trying to round them up, get them back to their families, and in many cases, find them new families. Hooper Finds a Family: A Hurricane Katrina Dog’s Survival Tale tells the tale of one of those dogs. Hooper’s family, like many pet families, left him behind when the storm started, assuming they’d be back to get him quickly. They were good people who loved Hooper, then called Jimmy, very much , but the circumstances prevented them from getting back to him in time. Hooper is swept away with the flood, saved by an otter who te... moreaches him how to “go with the flow,” and gets rescued by a man in a yellow rain coat. But Hooper’s rescue is just the beginning. He still has to find a new family and learn to adapt in a world much different than the one in which he came from.Hooper Finds a Family is written for children and told through the eyes of the little yellow lab puppy. Since it’s written for middle-grade kids, the language is relatively simple and the horrors of Katrina are kept to a minimum. Author Jane Paley doesn’t sugarcoat it, but it’s not going to give your children nightmares. I’m a crier when it comes to animal stories, so I of course bawled when poor Hooper was scared and lost in the torrents, and again when he was terrified of meeting his new family (especially since the dad wasn’t all that thrilled about him at first), and of course again when everything worked out for the sweet, “good ‘ol boy” puppy. This is a great book to help younger children understand the ramifications of that hurricane, and to inspire them to think of ways they could help other animals in the same situation as Hooper. It’s also excellent for helping children learn about adapting to a new environment, such as a new school in a different city, as Hooper travels from Louisiana to New York City and learns to fit in with the city dogs. Hooper’s braveness, especially in the face of the first storm he goes through after being rescued, is definitely inspiring. I would recommend this book for ages 8 and up.Although the book is told from the point of view of the dog, Hooper Finds a Family is based on a true story. Today, Hooper works as a therapy dog and inspires children to read by accompanying Jane to schools and libraries for story time. Part of the proceeds from the book go towards Labs4rescue, the organization that brought Jane and Hooper together. In Hooper Finds a Family, Hooper’s tale has a happy ending, but there are still hundreds of thousands of animals out there waiting for their own happy ending. Please keep that in mind when you’re considering adding a new four-legged (or two-legged in the case of birds, or no-legged in the case of fish) member to your family.
review 2: Title: Hooper Finds A FamilyA Hurricane Katrina Dog’s Survival TaleAuthor: Name PaleyISBN: 9780062011039Publisher: Harper “My life before Hurricane Katrina was the best. Living with Mamma and George I never had to worry about where my next meal came from or where I would sleep. But, then something happened to change that and my world came crashing down. Listening to the humans speak and understanding what they were saying, I hoped they could tell from the expression on my face that I wanted to go with them wherever they traveled. Unfortunately, that was not to be. Leaving me a hardy meal and some water Mamma and George took off in their truck promising one of them would return for me. I settled down and ate my meal and felt all alone for the first time in my life. As I was looking for a safe place to sleep for the night the sky filled up with dark clouds and the rain began to fall. At first the rain came down in small droplets and then in torrential downpours, which really frightened me and chilled me to the bone. With no one in sight I searched for a safer place to weather the storm. My name is Jimmy and this is my story. I am a yellow Labrador puppy, kind of small and some think puny. I was separated from my family in Lake Charles Louisiana. A terrible hurricane strikes the land and now I have to find a new home and family.”Author Jane Paley relates a heartwarming, true story about a brave dog named Jimmy/Hooper that finds his way from New Orleans to New York City in search of a new family. Cleverly written and narrated in the first person by the dog, you hear his inner thoughts, fears; understand his actions and interactions, as he meets some ornery animals when he finally arrives at his first destination. Courageous, brave, feisty and full of spunk this amazing dog never gives up despite any obstacles that come his way.Jimmy’s first destination, after being rescued is a shelter for animals, is a metal cage, where he is not very happy. Learning how to get along with the other animals there would be equally as challenging as living through Hurricane Katrina. Jimmy refused to lose hope. A volunteer named Chrissie arrived at the shelter and things were about to change. Chrissie’s job was to find him a new family.First impressions can make or break a situation. Jimmy’s new dad did not take to him at all. Jane, his new mom did. Understanding that he needed reassurance and kindness, Jane sat in the back with him holding him close. Renaming him Hooper and trying to make him feel apart of their family would take hard work and patience. Author Jane Paley’s first-person narrative account of this puppy’s ordeal is based on the actual events of a true story. Jimmy’s story is quite unique and he tells it in his own special way. The storms he weathered, not just during Katrina are vividly described and Jimmy’s underlying fear that he could be sent back to the shelter are heard loud and clear.Taking his first bath, fearful of the water, thinking he might drown, it takes a lot of patience on Jane’s part to reassure him that he is safe. Standing up to the meanest dog in the park, impressing one beautiful collie named Willow and facing up to the squirrels in the park, allows Hooper takes his first step to becoming a New York dog.Hooper tries his best to become part of this family. But, Larry his new Dad does everything in his power to make him feel unwanted until something happens that just might change his mind? A heartwarming tale of survival, overcoming fears, adjusting to a new life, Hooper is one special dog that everyone will fall in love with. “My name is Hooper, read my story.”Without rescue shelters many of our unwanted or abandoned pets would not find homes. Thanks to the many who rescued Hooper and found him a home. This review is dedicated to all of those dogs that found homes and to my mother in laws dog Randi who was one of the lucky ones. less

Download links for: Hooper Finds a Family: A Hurricane Katrina Dog's Survival Tale

Advertising