Julie, I loved this story too. Readers may be interested to know about one of the best stories I ever read my daughter when she was young, "Mister Dog: THE DOG WHO BELONGED TO HIMSELF," by the wonderful Margaret Wise Brown. For you Shakespeare lovers (Kate!) and admirers of Henry V, the dog's name is CRISPIN'S CRISPIAN.

Oh, I'll order that today! I had not heard of it and we love MWB. Thanks Robert!

Robert, that was my absolute favorite when I was a child. Yes, it is really THAT old. My mother thought it was funny and a poke at conservatives (the dog's bow-tie and love of order) but when small I thought that if that was how conservatives lived, maybe I wanted to be a conservative no matter what my parents said. The Garth Williams illustrations are wonderful. I still have my battered childhood copy, hidden. The one bought for my own children, probably the same year you bought yours for your daughter, has vanished. I need to get it for my granddaughters. Julie, did you find it? It is really the best. "The Sailor Dog" was also a delight, I think by the same team.

Kate, I rummaged through my daughter's treasure boxes and retrieved her copy tonight. Some lines reminded me of myself, and probably you too: "Then he took himself for a walk. And he went wherever he wanted to go. But one morning he didn't know where he wanted to go. Just walk, and sooner or later you'll get somehere, he said to himself." For those of you not yet in the know, Crispin's Crispian was a CONSERVATIVE! For as Kate said, he loved and kept order around him, and dreamed his own dreams. I saw it's available on Amazon.

Robert, I found it too at Amazon and will probably have to order ten copies (at least and thank God it is cheap!) to have around against the day it goes out of print.

One memorable and loved part was that with all of his order and sartorial correctness, when he met with some other dogs, he ran with his tongue hanging. This was not a stuffy conservative canine! His relationship with the boy, wherein they partook of meals and life as equals and yet not at all the same and the comfort in that as each belonged to himself spoke of true friendship and the joy of a comradeship with the "other".

C.S. Lewis forgive me, but it reminds me right now of trying to be a friend to men - sometimes a touchy and maybe even a risky relationship. The otherness can be daunting. At dinner it was said, "But you women are weird." to which the only possible reply was, "Well, we find you weird, too."

It is a very engaging book and one of the rare little children's books with a sort of depth.

Speaking of children's books, have either of you seen The Dangerous Book for Boys? It is worth a look; a manly book for the male child.

You're right. When I read it over last night I thought to myself that it started out Lockean and ended Aristotelean!

Some men appreciate women more, and some women appreciate men more. By appreciation, I mean at least patience and wonder. It's hard to remember in day to day life that we're not like each other. Isn't it true though that with age you understand both your own and the other sex better. My daughter taught me much about women and my mature study taught me most about men.

I'm surprised Peter hasn't posted something about the Dangerous Book for Boys....or has he? Anyway, it seems to be selling very well.

I'm tired and not very fluent, but wanted to tell you my daughter's reaction when I showed her the book last night after many years. She recognized it immediately, read it through eagerly and pronounced it her favorite. Like you, she remembered the illustrations more than I did. She said she wanted to take it with her to college. Allbest.