Early Reader Review: Luna Howls at the Moon by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb

Source: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Luna Howls at the Moon  by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb  
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date:  June 15, 2021

 

Format: Ebook

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

The award-winning author of A Dog Like Daisy returns with a moving middle grade novel from the point of view of Luna, a Labrador therapy dog who accompanies her group therapy kids when they set off on an adventure across Austin, Texas.

Luna has always wanted to be a therapy dog at Therapy Dogs Worldwide. Now she’s a whisker away from reaching her fifty-visit pin that will make it official. But when her “clients”—the children who visit her—are put into a therapy group, Luna’s routine is upended.

Like the moon, Luna shows different faces at different times. And her clients each have different needs—Beatrice is tangled in knots of anger, Caleb rushes like a waterfall, Amelia carries fear heavy like a shadow, and Hector is quiet as a rock. To comfort the kids, Luna can be what they need her to be, but can she be everything to them all at once?

When Hector doesn’t show up to a session one day, the kids set off on an unexpected quest to find him. Luna joins to keep them safe, and they must work together to almost learn the truth.

Review: 

First off, I love a book that is about a dog... or has a dog in it. I just really love the dogs. This book is pretty neat in that it is not just about a dog but told from the point of view of the dog. This particular dog is a therapy dog working to get her 50 visits completed to make her training official. The other dogs are giving her a hard time but she is almost there and determined to finish her appointments. 

Luna works with kids and her trainer is trying to implement some group therapy sessions which she believes will help the four kids that she has been working with. At the first session one of them tells the group that he would bring a hoverboard to the next meeting, but then doesn't show up so the kids take it upon themselves to go and find him. Luna must decide if she is going to let her clients go off on their own or tag along on this crazy adventure. Pretty obviously she chooses to go and they are off on an unlikely run through the city with Luna at their side.

I really enjoyed reading this book from Luna's POV, she is so determined to keep her people safe and the way that the author writes her makes her so easy to follow along with. The author describes pain and grief well and while an adventure it is also a journey of healing. The kids all are struggling with things and coming together helps them each in different ways. It was great not only to read about the important role of a therapy dog but also to see therapy normalized in this book. 

I think readers will really enjoy it and learn a lot along the way.