Spunky is a little dog who tells about his life with the Bates family. He explains how dogs think and learn and especially the importance of his nose and smelling things. Sometimes his nose gets the best of him, and after an incident with Ralph's (the father) socks, the family concludes he needs a friend. Julian and Huey the two boys pick out a white cat. According to Spunky, she smell like foolishness and he wants nothing to do with her. However, he can't help but keep her out of trouble and the two of them form a lasting friendship.

I would read aloud this book just for pleasure to an early elementary class or perhaps when teaching a unit on point of view or humorous fiction. It would also be fun to read when doing a unit on pets.

Any dog lovering kids will adore this book that is told from the Spunky, the dog's point of view. This book explores friendship, loyalty, and acceptance. I believe it would make kids laugh with its wit and and page-turning action. Great for engaging students in an easier read.

Summary: Spunky is a dog who can talk, although his silly human family has trouble understanding him sometimes. Life was good until - oh no!! - here comes Fiona, the new cat. It take a while for her to warm up to Spunky, but after he saves her life a few times when she stuck in the toilet and the fridge, they become friends as he teaches her the ropes of the house.

Personal commentary / reflection: I'm a huge animal lover, especially dogs as I grew up surrounded by at least two happy and slobbery golden retrievers at all times. This is a great book told from the perspective of Spunky the dog, as he struggles to bond with his human family. I liked reading about the bond between him and cat- an animal-to-animal connection that I think sometimes gets overlooked in the world of young literature. It was a great read- perfect for a young reader who likes dogs and cats :) ( )

This book is about a dog named Spunky and he loves his family very much. He likes to speak to them but they can't understand him. One day his family adopts a cat named Fiona. Spunky doesn't like Fiona at all. However some things happen and they become friends.