Hazel Mitchell

When he moves to a new house with his father, a young boy asks and is given permission to get a dog. After visiting the local shelter, he selects Toby, a cute but rather shy young canine. Although eager to play with and train his new companion, the boy discovers that Toby is sometimes frightened and withdrawn, and doesn't immediately learn to obey commands to sit or fetch. When Toby gets into a little trouble - making a mess inside the house, destroying a bed of flowers - the boy's father show more suggests that perhaps Toby isn't the right dog for them. Can Toby and the boy prove him wrong...?

A sweet tale is paired with delightfully charming illustrations in Toby, artist Hazel Mitchell's debut as an author/illustrator. Based upon the experiences of her own rescue poodle, Mitchell's story highlights an important message about giving shelter animals time to adjust to their new lives, and having patience with them when they at first seem uncooperative. I enjoyed the tale, and found the artwork, done in pencil and watercolor, immensely appealing. Mitchell captures both her human and canine characters' various emotional states beautifully, making the happy ending especially satisfying. Recommended to young dog-lovers, and to anyone looking for children's stories that address getting a companion animal from a shelter. show less

Toby by Hazel Mitchell is the sweet story of an adopted dog finding his way into the hearts of the family who adopts him. Mitchell creates a story that reminds us the importance of not giving up on others and of trying to help others find their way when they're struggling. Toby isn't the best behaved dog, and his new family struggles to connect with him. Mitchell illustrates the process of finding common ground and using persistence to change an undesirable situation. There's a lesson in show more Toby for all anyone who struggles to see the value in those who don't meet expectations. show less

Rescue dogs can be afraid and need time to adjust to their new home and family. Toby is a good example of how a dog can wriggle his way into the heart of a family using their cute personality. I'm impressed by the boy's hard work with Toby before his Dad can decide that maybe Toby isn't the right dog for them.
The boy learns responsibility as he works with Toby and we see his love for the dog, and his compassion that Toby needs to adjust. With the delightful and vivid illustrations, also show more done by the author, we see the bonding process that goes on between them.
Toby is a cute, engaging story about friendship and love that forms between a child and a dog. This book is well worth the addition to any child's, classroom or library shelf. 5 STARS! show less

Not just about gardening, but there is a non-fiction note at the end about sweet-peas. A wonderful story but I'm not quite sure why mom had to go into the hospital... it seemed like an odd element to add when it's perfectly ok for a child to visit her grandparents for no particular reason except it's summer and it's good for everyone to create bonds in the family.