Trouper

A moving story of a three-legged stray dog who finds a loving boy to call his own--illustrated by Caldecott Honor Book artist E.B. Lewis. Based on a true story.

Trouper ran with a mob of mutts who tripped over trash cans and pawed the cold streets for bones. They howled and cried and wished for a home. Until one day, the dogs are captured from off the streets and put in cages in a shelter as they wait to be adopted. Trouper watches sadly as, one by one, each of his dog friends are chosen. He's the only one left until finally, one lucky day, just the right boy comes around and finds that this three-legged mutt is the perfect pet for him!

Meg Kearney, who herself was adopted, felt a particularly strong kinship to Trouper at first sight. This book was inspired by her own dog's amazing rescue story. Ms. Kearney's book of poems HOME BY NOW won the 2010 L.L. Winship/PEN New England Award for Poetry; she has also authored two novels in verse for teens. She is director of the Solstice MFA in Creative Writing Program of Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Ms. Kearney lives in New Hampshire with her husband and their dog, Trouper! E. B. Lewis Won a Caldecott Honor for COMING ON HOME SOON by Jacqueline Woodson. He has also won the Coretta Scott King Award and Coretta Scott King Honor three times. He graduated from Temple University's Tyler School of Art and now teaches at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Mr Lewis lives in Folsom, New Jersey. Visit www.eblewis.com to learn more.