Book reviews: 3 stories for animal lovers of all ages

Loving animals and reading fiction about them isn’t relegated to one age group. Whether that fiction is written for adults, young adults, or children, readers of all ages will find enjoyment in the books below.

Dear Dotty: A Novel by Jaclyn Westlake. Avon, 2024. Softcover, 368 pages.

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Life isn’t going particularly well for Rosie, the 20-something protagonist of Jaclyn Westlake’s debut novel, Dear Dotty. Her parents are getting a divorce, she has been fired from her tech industry job, and her beloved Aunt Dotty dies unexpectedly. A free spirit who had always helped Rosie through life’s twists and turns, Dotty leaves her most treasured belonging to her niece: her sweet-tempered dog, Bug. As Rosie and Bug comfort each other in the wake of Dotty’s death, Rosie sets out to discover her late aunt’s secrets for living a life on one’s own terms.

Of particular significance was Dotty’s connection to a small animal sanctuary, a connection that ultimately sets Rosie on her own chosen path in life. Equally thoughtful and entertaining, this novel will appeal to fans of Annie England Noblin and others looking for a “good read” with an animal theme.

Dogwood Blossom: Growing Up Native American by DeAnna Quietwater Noriega. Independently published, 2023. Softcover, 65 pages.

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Good things do indeed come in small packages, as is evidenced by DeAnna Quietwater Noriega in Dogwood Blossom: Growing Up Native American. In this richly textured and quietly presented collection of stories of a Native American childhood, the author weaves together vignettes and tales of a preteen girl and her family. One story about how the girl and her younger brothers rescue an abandoned puppy from certain death in a snow pile will be of interest to Best Friends readers.

A skillful writer and storyteller, DeAnna subtly shows the poverty and injustice the main character and her family face on the reservation and as seasonal migrant farmworkers. Although the target audience is middle-grade readers, anyone wanting to learn about Indigenous culture would find Dogwood Blossom a good entry point. Readers of DeAnna’s memoir of life with guide dogs, Fifty Years of Walking with Friends, which was previously reviewed on our website, will find this collection filled with the same grace and wisdom.

Tate’s Wild Rescue by Jenny Turnbull with illustrations by Izzy Burton. Random House Children Books, 2024. Hardcover, 40 pages.

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Tate, the little girl in the title of this hilarious and compassionate picture book, is worried about wild animals. She fears they might be lonely in the wild and, being an enterprising child, sends several of them a letter inviting them to share her home and become her best friend.

I won’t give any spoilers, but Tate’s invitations and the animals’ responses had me laughing out loud. All’s well that ends well, though, as Tate finds that a homeless dog is more than willing to take her up on her offer. Author Jenny Turnbull’s entry into the children’s book market is a joy, one that this reviewer hopes is the first of many.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill by 2025. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.