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ianmcnamara's review against another edition
5.0
Ben is keen for a dog and hopes that he'll get one for his Birthday after being promised one from his grandfather however when his birthday arrives he does not get the real thing but just a picture. When he realises he can't keep a dog in London he starts to create a dog so small that only he can see. That is when adventures begin.
After an accident makes the family re evaluate there lives and think about moving into a cleaner part of London the possibility of keeping one of his grand fathers puppies becomes a reality. However does ben really want a real dog or does he just want the wonderful idea of his chikiteto in his emagination?
This was a story of a boy wanting his hearts desire however when the reality is not what he hoped for can he learn to live with what he ends up with?
I thought this was a good story to teach children that what you expect is not always what you get however can still be just as enjoyible. Sometimes we may not end up with the very thing we've hoped for but what we do end up with can be exactly what we need. Ben had to learn this on his Journey when Brown was not the dog he'd cunjured up in his mind.
Did Ben accept Brown? you'll have to read the story to find out.
I liked the fact that the ending of the book was not all nicely tied up and stayed true to ben's uncertainty as a character. I remember reading this book as a teenager while at school and at the conclusion it stuck with me that things in life don't always occur the way we expect however it's only through my recent journey of personal development and a big change happening with one of the things i'm involved in made me want to pick up this book again as an adult as I was reminded of what it had taught me.
Ben was very self-centered as one of the reviews i've read on here states, however when we're children we're often that way specially when we want or think we want something so badly.
After an accident makes the family re evaluate there lives and think about moving into a cleaner part of London the possibility of keeping one of his grand fathers puppies becomes a reality. However does ben really want a real dog or does he just want the wonderful idea of his chikiteto in his emagination?
This was a story of a boy wanting his hearts desire however when the reality is not what he hoped for can he learn to live with what he ends up with?
I thought this was a good story to teach children that what you expect is not always what you get however can still be just as enjoyible. Sometimes we may not end up with the very thing we've hoped for but what we do end up with can be exactly what we need. Ben had to learn this on his Journey when Brown was not the dog he'd cunjured up in his mind.
Did Ben accept Brown? you'll have to read the story to find out.
I liked the fact that the ending of the book was not all nicely tied up and stayed true to ben's uncertainty as a character. I remember reading this book as a teenager while at school and at the conclusion it stuck with me that things in life don't always occur the way we expect however it's only through my recent journey of personal development and a big change happening with one of the things i'm involved in made me want to pick up this book again as an adult as I was reminded of what it had taught me.
Ben was very self-centered as one of the reviews i've read on here states, however when we're children we're often that way specially when we want or think we want something so badly.
mat_tobin's review against another edition
5.0
Ever since the moment when Ben’s grandfather whispered conspiratorially of a promise of a for his birthday, Ben has done nothing but dream and imagine the moment. Whilst his grandparents live in the country with their own dog, Ben and his large, busy family live a rather bustling life in central London, a short stop away from Big Ben.
It is tough being a middle child and more so when the age between your two older sisters or two younger brothers is great. Your place in the family is unstable; you’re searching for someone or something to just help you fit in and to share your life with. So when the day comes for Ben to receive his gift from his grandparents, his heart is broken and trust shattered when he only receives a woven image of a Chihuahua in a frame. The fact dawns on him that he will never own a dog because it’d be too big for the house and central London is no place to raise a large dog. So what does Ben do? He imagines a dog so small that only he can see it, play with it and care for it. But in becoming so engrossed in imagining this creature, Ben loses touch with the real world and a tragic accident happens which calls on the family to consider everyone’s futures.
That desire and longing which is so prevalent in childhood, wanting something that is beyond either their reach or purpose, is a memory I remember well. The desire for a pet, a promise broken by a trusting adult are hard and deeply confusing childhood experiences and Pearce captures it all so perfectly here. As with all her work, there is a deep sense of respect for the reader. For me, where most authors would have tied the ending up in order to spare the reader any more conflict, Pearce stays true to Ben’s character and presents us with a close which shows that he still has much to learn about what he wants and why he wants it.
This is a highly accomplished short novel and I was surprised to read that it was originally ‘turned down by OUP and, instead, published by Constable in 1982.’
It is tough being a middle child and more so when the age between your two older sisters or two younger brothers is great. Your place in the family is unstable; you’re searching for someone or something to just help you fit in and to share your life with. So when the day comes for Ben to receive his gift from his grandparents, his heart is broken and trust shattered when he only receives a woven image of a Chihuahua in a frame. The fact dawns on him that he will never own a dog because it’d be too big for the house and central London is no place to raise a large dog. So what does Ben do? He imagines a dog so small that only he can see it, play with it and care for it. But in becoming so engrossed in imagining this creature, Ben loses touch with the real world and a tragic accident happens which calls on the family to consider everyone’s futures.
That desire and longing which is so prevalent in childhood, wanting something that is beyond either their reach or purpose, is a memory I remember well. The desire for a pet, a promise broken by a trusting adult are hard and deeply confusing childhood experiences and Pearce captures it all so perfectly here. As with all her work, there is a deep sense of respect for the reader. For me, where most authors would have tied the ending up in order to spare the reader any more conflict, Pearce stays true to Ben’s character and presents us with a close which shows that he still has much to learn about what he wants and why he wants it.
This is a highly accomplished short novel and I was surprised to read that it was originally ‘turned down by OUP and, instead, published by Constable in 1982.’
mr5z33's review
4.0
I quite liked this little book. Being from Australia, this book seems like everything I imagine England to be. I also loved this book as a commentary on its time - a time when families were large in small homes, and many families could only focus on the essentials; a simpler time when families window-shopped together and we didn't worry about our children being outside alone, wandering around till their hunger screamed "enough already". Very nostalgic.
harrypotterfan33's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Not the best book ever but still recomment to children from about age nine
scaifea's review
2.0
A young boy living in London wants a dog so badly, but there's no space for one in the city. It becomes an obsession for him, one that leads to a scary-but-ultimately-okay accident, and then finally he gets his wish, although it doesn't turn out exactly as he had daydreamed it would.
I've really enjoyed all the other Pearce books I've read, but I struggled to finish this one, and at one point Ben (the boy) makes a decision so irritating (to me, at least) that I very nearly did give up on it. The characters are unlikeable (all but the grandfather, who's a delight), and Ben's pouting and obsessing over a dog quickly became tedious. So I was disappointed in this one, I'm afraid.
I've really enjoyed all the other Pearce books I've read, but I struggled to finish this one, and at one point Ben (the boy) makes a decision so irritating (to me, at least) that I very nearly did give up on it. The characters are unlikeable (all but the grandfather, who's a delight), and Ben's pouting and obsessing over a dog quickly became tedious. So I was disappointed in this one, I'm afraid.
debnanceatreaderbuzz's review
4.0
Ben wants a dog. Sadly, Ben can’t have a dog. Ben and his family live in London and London is no place for dogs.
Then Ben’s grandpa promises to get him a dog for his birthday.
You will never read a more realistic book about wanting, not getting, wanting some more, getting, not wanting, and, then, finally, wanting.
Then Ben’s grandpa promises to get him a dog for his birthday.
You will never read a more realistic book about wanting, not getting, wanting some more, getting, not wanting, and, then, finally, wanting.
mat_tobin's review
5.0
Ever since the moment when Ben’s grandfather whispered conspiratorially of a promise of a for his birthday, Ben has done nothing but dream and imagine the moment. Whilst his grandparents live in the country with their own dog, Ben and his large, busy family live a rather bustling life in central London, a short stop away from Big Ben.
It is tough being a middle child and more so when the age between your two older sisters or two younger brothers is great. Your place in the family is unstable; you’re searching for someone or something to just help you fit in and to share your life with. So when the day comes for Ben to receive his gift from his grandparents, his heart is broken and trust shattered when he only receives a woven image of a Chihuahua in a frame. The fact dawns on him that he will never own a dog because it’d be too big for the house and central London is no place to raise a large dog. So what does Ben do? He imagines a dog so small that only he can see it, play with it and care for it. But in becoming so engrossed in imagining this creature, Ben loses touch with the real world and a tragic accident happens which calls on the family to consider everyone’s futures.
That desire and longing which is so prevalent in childhood, wanting something that is beyond either their reach or purpose, is a memory I remember well. The desire for a pet, a promise broken by a trusting adult are hard and deeply confusing childhood experiences and Pearce captures it all so perfectly here. As with all her work, there is a deep sense of respect for the reader. For me, where most authors would have tied the ending up in order to spare the reader any more conflict, Pearce stays true to Ben’s character and presents us with a close which shows that he still has much to learn about what he wants and why he wants it.
This is a highly accomplished short novel and I was surprised to read that it was originally ‘turned down by OUP and, instead, published by Constable in 1982.’
It is tough being a middle child and more so when the age between your two older sisters or two younger brothers is great. Your place in the family is unstable; you’re searching for someone or something to just help you fit in and to share your life with. So when the day comes for Ben to receive his gift from his grandparents, his heart is broken and trust shattered when he only receives a woven image of a Chihuahua in a frame. The fact dawns on him that he will never own a dog because it’d be too big for the house and central London is no place to raise a large dog. So what does Ben do? He imagines a dog so small that only he can see it, play with it and care for it. But in becoming so engrossed in imagining this creature, Ben loses touch with the real world and a tragic accident happens which calls on the family to consider everyone’s futures.
That desire and longing which is so prevalent in childhood, wanting something that is beyond either their reach or purpose, is a memory I remember well. The desire for a pet, a promise broken by a trusting adult are hard and deeply confusing childhood experiences and Pearce captures it all so perfectly here. As with all her work, there is a deep sense of respect for the reader. For me, where most authors would have tied the ending up in order to spare the reader any more conflict, Pearce stays true to Ben’s character and presents us with a close which shows that he still has much to learn about what he wants and why he wants it.
This is a highly accomplished short novel and I was surprised to read that it was originally ‘turned down by OUP and, instead, published by Constable in 1982.’
pers's review
5.0
Wallowed in childhood nostalgia as I re-read this. I loved it just as much as when I read it as a child - and it still has the power to make me cry. An absolutely beautiful book with a powerful story about a child's imagination, longing, and disappointment.
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