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One in a Million

by Nicholas Read, Chum McLeod, illus.

The animal story is about as classic a genre as there is. Between the covers of a great animal story, the reader experiences most of literature’s greatest hooks – a valiant character, at least one despicable villain, high adventure, desperate danger, relentless endurance, gallant heroics, and just reward. Within the animal genre, it’s likely that dog tales have the broadest appeal. It’s hard to resist creatures who, first in life and then in literature, have earned the accolade “man’s best friend.”

One in a Million by Nicholas Read introduces Joey, a man’s-best-friend wannabe. Joey, a German shepherd cross, is one of a litter of pups unceremoniously delivered to an animal shelter. His “everydog” quest – to find a home on which to lavish love and commitment – is shadowed by the ever-ticking clock of the animal shelter’s length-of-stay policy.

One in a Million has a number of strengths. The “underdog” plot, though not novel, is well handled. Read has crafted his various settings, especially the gritty shelter and the “street,” to achieve an effective atmosphere. Similarly, his sensitive working of Joey’s relationships with two canine mentors adds a very nice poignancy to the story.

Regrettably, One in a Million has a few bones that warrant picking. While Read capably creates two good main characters, the endearingly naive and goofy Joey, and the compassionate, go-getting shelter volunteer Marjorie, much of the supporting cast is either uncommonly flaky or uncomfortably stereotypical. Though also stereotyped, dog lovers will welcome One in a Million’s genre-typical conclusion. The more critical of them, however, will be disappointed by the contrived, inadequately developed, and, consequently, confusing complication that precipitates the story’s ending.

One in a Million is a reasonable recommendation for the reader who has enjoyed Beverly Cleary’s Ribsy and isn’t quite ready for Jack Stoneley’s Scruffy. Read’s use of anthropomorphic animal dialogue will appeal most to primary listeners and the younger segment of his nine to 12-year-old audience. Older readers will identify more with the themes of loss, trust, and hope reflected in Joey’s seven-chapter story.

 

Reviewer: Patty Lawlor

Publisher: Polestar

DETAILS

Price: $8.95

Page Count: 160 pp

Format: Paper

ISBN: 1-896095-22-4

Released: Aug.

Issue Date: 1996-8

Categories:

Age Range: ages 9–12