Common Sense Media Review
By Mandie Caroll
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Emotional tale of worried kid, faithful dog, broken family.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Little red dog SUNSHINE has been Ben's constant companion his whole life. His mother left when he was 3. His dad, a teacher, is supportive, steady, and always there for him. But Ben is driven by the need to have a regular family with a mom and a dad, like his friends. So he's hatched an imaginative scheme to get his long-lost mom to invite him to spend a week with her on the remote Minnesota island where she lives -- which of course is the first step in getting her and his dad back together. His dad, meanwhile, is pressuring him to be less attached to Sunshine, but boy and dog are soon in a canoe headed for the unknown island and unknown adventures with the stranger who's his mom -- and who Ben hopes will be more accepting.
Is It Any Good?
Seen from inside the head of a worried kid trying to get his long-lost mom back, Marion Dane Bauer's intense summer story delves into themes of abuse, abandonment, forgiveness, and acceptance. At the center of it all is Sunshine, a faithful canine companion who's helped young Ben survive his childhood, but for whom adults seem to have little patience, and Ben's naive but wildly hopeful plan to reunite his parents. There's a lot of emotional struggle as Ben determinedly does his best to make his parents' relationship something matching his vision, and many challenges as he faces perils including near-drowning and a forest fire.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the them of a kid trying to reunite his divorced parents in Sunshine. What other stories do you know with this theme? How do they turn out?
Do you think you'd like to live on a remote island with no electricity or running water, let alone internet and cell phone service? Or maybe just try it for a week? What do you think might be great, or really hard to get used to?
How is Sunshine like other tales you've read about kids and their dogs? How is it different?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Family Life
- Topics : Adventures , Animals
- Character Strengths : Courage , Empathy
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Candlewick
- Publication date : May 18, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 208
- Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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