Before You Were Mine by Maribeth Boelts and David Walker

A young boy is delighted with his new puppy that he adopted from a shelter. He muses on what the puppy’s life was like before he found his “forever” home : maybe the poor pup was mistreated and ran away, or abandoned because his owner could no longer care for him. Whatever the reason, he is happily loved by a little boy whose old dog was euthanized not too long ago. This book offers an insightful peek into what happens to the dogs once they reach the shelters. The authors devote an end page to the benefits of rescuing shelter dogs. Also, a portion of the proceeds of the sale of the book will be donated to the Humane Society of the United States

Once I Ate a Pie by Patricia MacLachlan, Emily MacLachlan Charest, illus. by Katy Schneider

Profiles on 13 dogs are told in verse from the dog’s point of view. The personality of each breed/mix comes through in the particular anecdote of each dog. “Mr. Beefy” pictured on the cover is a pug who loves to hide things and eat in private. Then there is Gus, the German Shepherd who likes to “round up” his family and follow them into the bathroom. My personal favorite is “Lucy”, a rescued shelter dog who loves to sleep in between her owners on their bed. (Sounds familiar!) If you’re a dog lover, you will thoroughly enjoy this book. If you’re not, you will be by the time you reach the end.