Any child who loves animals or who has longed for a pet will enjoy and probably read and reread this collection of six related stories about the animals who come through the Rainbow Street Refuge and their human families.

From the first story, in which Lachlan is devasted to lose his dog on the day they move from their farm to the city, and a girl called Hannah is overjoyed to find a dog in her surprised father’s ute, every story is a winner, full of human drama and animal warmth.

Wendy Orr writes about caring for animals with knowledge and empathy, including the feeding and the mucking out, the exercising or resting, so the feel-good stories are both heartwarming and down to earth.

For newly confident readers. For ages eight and up.