The Horn Book Guide

INTERMEDIATE FICTION

van de Vendel, Edward

A Dog like Sam

113 pp. | Eerdmans | October, 2016 | Trade ISBN 978-0-8028-5484-1 $13.00

(2) 4-6 Translated by David Colmer. Illustrated by Philip Hopman. Great Pyrenees dog Sam appears one day at Kix's family's farm. The story seems to be headed along familiar foundling-pet lines, but things take a darker turn when Sam's original owner--the mentally unstable adult son of an unpleasant neighbor--turns up. This Dutch import speaks the international language of dog-lovers while also providing an unvarnished yet ultimately compassionate portrait of mental illness.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2017