The Girl and the Farm Dog

Emma visits her Aunt Rosie's farm wearing yellow rain boots that squelch in the mud, and there she meets Rusty, a shaggy rust-orange and white dog with mismatched eyes and a wildly wagging tail. Eager to join the chores but unsure where to start, Emma finds Rusty's circling only adds to her confusion until Aunt Rosie explains that dogs communicate through their tails, ears and barks, and that understanding them requires close attention.

Across feeding time, walks by the fence, sunny rests and games of fetch with an old rope toy, Emma gradually reads Rusty's signals, from a perked ear to a low tail and a slow blink, and she sees how much routines matter to a dog. When a thunderstorm frightens Rusty, she draws on what she has learned to comfort him. Written by Jane MEADOW for young children and early readers, this gentle tale can be read on Kids Tale Book.