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2nd out of 17 books
—
4 voters
Owney, the Mail-Pouch Pooch
by
Mona Kerby (Goodreads Author),
Lynne Barasch
One rainy night in 1888, a stray dog wandered into the U.S. Post Office in Albany, New York. Workers found him the next morning asleep on a pile of mail pouches. The dog seemed to like the post office and the smell of the mailbags and the men’s wool uniforms. When no one came to claim him, they named him Owney and made him their pet. However, Owney’s loyalty and sense of a...more
Hardcover, 40 pages
Published
April 29th 2008
by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
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Picture Biography
I really enjoyed this book, especially in the end when I realized that it was based on a true story. The story begins in 1888, when a stray dog ended up in a post office to find a warm place to sleep. He slept on a pile of canvas bags full of mail. He seemed naturally protective of the United States mail. Eventually the mail workers claimed him as their own and named him Owney. Some mail workers tried to take him home for a family pet but Owney always ran back to the post office...more
I really enjoyed this book, especially in the end when I realized that it was based on a true story. The story begins in 1888, when a stray dog ended up in a post office to find a warm place to sleep. He slept on a pile of canvas bags full of mail. He seemed naturally protective of the United States mail. Eventually the mail workers claimed him as their own and named him Owney. Some mail workers tried to take him home for a family pet but Owney always ran back to the post office...more
This almost made me cry (note: I'm a softy for dog books.) Owney, a stray terrier, adopted himself out to the Albany Post Office. He took himself on trips- all the while guarding the mail and anyone wearing a blue postal service uniform. This would be a great choice for families who are visiting the Smithsonian and might have a chance to see Owney for themselves (as the note indicates, Owney was preserved and you can visit him!)
Feb 26, 2010
Laura
added it
This is a delightful introduction to both a famous American canine and the biography genre, albeit one of a dog. Told in narrative form with wonderful illustrations, children (and adults!) of all ages will learn a great deal about the late nineteenth century, the postal service, and the intelligence of man's best friend. This book was well researched and was written by dog lover Mona Kerby. Her web site is also wonderful, including links to a video about the time period and a readers theatre scr...more
1 like · like · see review
What a great story! And the fact that it is true makes it all the better. I really enjoyed reading this with Benji tonight. He wanted to know if it was a true story too, and it has a great author's note at the end that explains how she did her research and even some decisions about what to include. For example, she looked for two accounts of the same story. In some cases she found differing accounts, as in how he got his name, so she didn't include that story. What a great model for children! In...more
Mar 16, 2009
Chak
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommended to Chak by:
Jefferson Market Librarian
Shelves:
kid
This was one of the best children's books I've ever read. It's a true story about a stray mutt who was adopted by the Albany US Post Office. The dog traveled from his homebase of Albany all over the world by rail and ship. Owney was quite famous in his day and this book is a great tribute to him (as is the exhibit in the Smithsonian!).
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Read this book. Seriously. Best for ages 4-8, I think. But I'm significantly older than that, and I loved it.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Read this book. Seriously. Best for ages 4-8, I think. But I'm significantly older than that, and I loved it.
This was an interesting story based on a real-life dog of the U.S. Postal Service. The story is fun and exciting and includes a bit of history about the postal service and geography of the U.S.
I had never heard of this postal pooch before, but the author includes an helpful biographical note at the end of the book. Definitely for older readers as the book is somewhat lengthy, could be okay for a rea-aloud in a classroom or for older (less fidgety) audience.
I had never heard of this postal pooch before, but the author includes an helpful biographical note at the end of the book. Definitely for older readers as the book is somewhat lengthy, could be okay for a rea-aloud in a classroom or for older (less fidgety) audience.
This picture book is a great story to introduce children to non-fiction. Owney was a dog famous for protecting the mail and mail carriers in the 1800s. This is a great book for children who love dogs or getting mail. What a cute story about a truly amazing dog.
Summary from the Westerville Library page: In 1888, Owney, a stray terrier puppy, finds a home in the Albany, New York, post office and becomes its official mascot as he rides the mail train through the Adirondacks and beyond, criss-crossi...more
Summary from the Westerville Library page: In 1888, Owney, a stray terrier puppy, finds a home in the Albany, New York, post office and becomes its official mascot as he rides the mail train through the Adirondacks and beyond, criss-crossi...more
A fantastic children's book about a real dog named Owney that was adopted by the US Postal workers in the 1890s and traveled the country and world with mail bags over several years. Every place he went the people gave him a tag or medal and when he retired at age 9 or so, he had about 6 lbs of medals charting his journeying on his collar and harness. He growled if anyone tried to take them off.
A sweet, and amazing story! We loved it.
A sweet, and amazing story! We loved it.
I learned about the existence of this historical terrier mutt from a song on Stephen Michael Schwartz's recent album for children "Songs from the Sandbox." He wrote and performed "Owney's Song." So I started looking for books about Owney and ran across this one at the library. Illustrations by Lynne Barasch are reminiscent of James Stevenson in style. And the story was based on extensive research by the author. It was fascinating.
This is a wonderful story and it is based on a dog that really did live in the late 1800's. The dog was "adopted" by the post office when he turned up there. He "worked" for the post office for the rest of his life. There have been many versions of Owney's story published in picture book form but this is the latest and I think children will really enjoy it. I did and I cannot wait to visit Owney in the Smithsonian now!
I Read this book today and fell in love with Owney. This is based on a true story about a Mail Dog who won the hearts of mail carriers in the late 1800s. Owney traveled the world sticking close to his postal pals and protecting the mail. He was given postal tags from all over the United States as he hopped on different mail trains. He even had the opportunity to visit other countries. This is definitely a special story.
Jan 16, 2009
Barbara
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
dog lovers of all ages.
Shelves:
animal-stories,
picture-books
A dog story based on a real stray dog who wandered into the Albany Post Office and stayed. He was adopted by the postal workers, but preferred to live at the post office. He liked guarding the mail and later began to ride the mail trains. I enjoyed it, but it's not a must-read. The illustrations by Lynne Barasch are appealing.
Kids love the story of Owney, a straggly mutt who found his way into the Albany Post Office in the late 1800s. Great ties to transporation and mail curriculum and a perfect resource to use with primary sources. Find out more from the National Postal Museum's great website.
This story was based on a real dog. Owney traveled the world garding the mail and seeing it went where it needed too. I loved this story and how many people Owney touched along the way. This would be a great read aloud for a classroom on persistance. Grades 1+
Actually 3.5 stars..
Show Me Reader 2010-2011
A good book--great historical fiction for younger readers. Talking through a few of the obscure facts and vocab helps with younger ones; however, many of my first graders enjoyed it with a little explanation.
Show Me Reader 2010-2011
A good book--great historical fiction for younger readers. Talking through a few of the obscure facts and vocab helps with younger ones; however, many of my first graders enjoyed it with a little explanation.
Apr 19, 2013
Chris
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
juvenile-fiction,
read-at-library,
dogs,
history,
biography,
united-states,
travel,
adventure,
epic,
post-office,
service
This based on a true story adventure of a dog from 125 years ago making a home for himself with the US Postal Service nearly brought me to tears. History has some great characters, even non-human ones!
This was a re-read, as I read the book last summer during my Read and Review. Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting Mona Kerby and hearing her journey into Owney's story.
The cute illustrations caught my eye at the library, but this is a great story enjoyed by both our girls. Based on a real story.
Cool story of a dog in the late 1800s that adopted the postal service.
Owney, the Mail-Pouch Pooch by Mona Kerby, 2nd, Booklegger Spring Program
What a good book, I say. A romantic story about a dog.
unique and interesting historically based story.
Children love adventure stories about animals. This is another one, but it's true! Owney was the official USPS dog and traveled the world on mail trains and trucks. This true adventure teaches children about more than just this lovable pooch... it teaches how the mail service works, geography, and overcoming obstacles. It is a little lengthy. It was a struggle for me to make it through the whole book. But spread over a couple days, with pauses at climatic parts, students will remain engaged.
Neither wind nor rain nor the dog-catchers of Quebec can keep the unofficial mascot of the America Railway Mail Service from crisscrossing the continent and, eventually, the globe in this surprising but true tale of a nineteenth century Littlest Hobo.
You can listen in on our chat about this book on our Just One More Book! Children's Book Podcast.
You can listen in on our chat about this book on our Just One More Book! Children's Book Podcast.
Three cheers for Owney! This will be a wonderful read-aloud during a week of dog celelbration. Highly recommended for its thorough research and attention to details historically.
Awesome book. Based on the true story of a dog who wondered into the post office on a rainy night in 1888 and like it so much he decided to stay.
CYRM picture book for older readers award winner 2009-10. Great dog/adventure story that happens to be true!
I had never heard this story before but both my daughter and I really enjoyed the story.
Such a heartwarming story. <3 Based on true events. Read it!
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Feb 28, 2010 08:56am