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Hachiko: The True Story of a Loyal Dog
- By Pamela S. Turner
- Genre: Picture Book
Common Sense Media says
Hachiko waits for his master, even after he dies.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Hachiko's devoted friendship and loyalty will appeal to young children.
What's the story?
Kentaro goes to the train station to meet his father, and there gets to know Hachiko, Dr. Ueno's loyal dog. Hachiko walks Dr. Ueno to the station every day, and every day he's waiting there when Dr. Ueno returns in the evening.
But one night Dr. Ueno doesn't return -- he has died at work. Hachiko returns every night to wait for him, even after he is taken miles away. Kentaro, his family, and others bring him food and water. This goes on for years, until finally Hachiko himself dies. And at the spot where he waited so faithfully, the townspeople erect a statue in his memory.
Is it any good?
Like a Japanese haiku, this book is as notable for what's missing as for what's present. Based on a true story, it is spare, elegant, without any cloying Western sentimentality -- no tugging at the heartstrings, no anthropomorphizing, no dramatic death scenes, just a matter-of-fact telling of an affecting true story through the eyes of a fictional boy.
Though the story is universal, the author and illustrator adroitly drop in details of Japanese life: "Ladies in kimonos walked carefully, trying to keep their white tabi socks away from the grime of the streets." The author also includes a "Story About the Story."
What families can talk about
Families can talk about whether Hachiko waits hoping Dr. Ueno will return, or to honor his memory.
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| Author: | Pamela S. Turner |
| Illustrator: | Yan Nascimbene |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Picture Book |
| Publisher: | Houghton Mifflin Children's Books |
| Publication date: | November 29, 2004 |
| Number of pages: | 32 |
| Hardcover price: | $15.00 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 4 - 7 |
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