Ivan!: A Pound Dog's View on Life, Love, and Leashes

Following in the footsteps of Barbara Bush's Millie's Book, McHugh offers thoughts on life from the perspective of his family dog, Ivan. Ivan muses about his name, wondering if his master had the Russian Tsar, Ivan the Terrible in mind. However, as he notes: "Since people tell me that, in spite of how funny looking I am, I'm a good dog, let's just say that I'm Ivan the Good." He also offers his thoughts on a variety of subjects (views presumably shared by McHugh) from obedience training to breed snobbery, and the omnipresent leash that reminds him of a snake wriggling behind his back. Genuinely funny incidents abound, such as when Ivan climbs a rickety ladder and gets stuck in an attic. This appealingly simple debut book conveys the love of family and the joys of a life lived in harmony with nature. (Oct.)