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We are a dog family. We’d be a cat family too if I wasn’t allergic. Right now we have two dogs, adopted from shelters. We have a special place in our hearts for rescue dogs, and there are always so many sitting in shelters waiting to be loved and taken to their “fur-ever” home. When I received the book Chloe On Fifth Avenue, I knew immediately that I would love it as soon as I found out it was about a rescue dog and the woman who loved her from the moment they met.
We opened the book on a Saturday morning when my daughter could do something she loves most: snuggle with her pup while reading him a book.
Written and illustrated by Kate Kamanga, the book starts with a sad Chloe, trapped in a cage her whole life, hungry and afraid. She’s in a puppy mill and she’s lonely and cold. She’s been forced to breed and have puppies, only for them to be taken away as soon as possible, so that Chloe can breed again. She was a thing not worthy of even a soft place to sleep. After she escapes, Chloe finds herself outside, able to finally smell the world around her, to play and feel the grass beneath her feet.
Wandering around looking for food, Chloe is spotted by Camille, who notices her matted fur, and skinny body. Camille takes Chloe home, where Chloe is given things she’s never had before, including a giant bowl of food. After learning to trust Camille, Chloe realizes that she can enjoy her life, sleep on soft things, and truly enjoy life as a dog.
This book is written for early readers, but my nine-year-old, who goes through books like napkins, enjoyed it too. It gives enough information about where Chloe came from to warrant questions from younger readers. For example, my son asked about the place that Chloe came from, and I explained (in a way a seven-year-old can understand) where Chloe came from, and that there are places like that in the United States.
The book helped reinforce in my children that we can be the Camile, and that we are the Camile, by adopting dogs from rescue shelters instead of purchasing them from puppy mills or pet stores.
If you’re interested in adopting an animal (shelters have more than just dogs!) visit your local animal shelter or find one here.
Do you have a pet from a shelter? What type of animal do you have and what is its name?
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