Rascal: A Dog and His Boy

by Ken Wells, Christian Slade (Illustrator)

Rascal may be the happiest beagle ever to live. He used to live on Voclain’s Farm, with its whole jambalaya of dogs, but now he lives with his very own boy, Meely. Together they explore the Louisiana bayou, bunny chasin’, coon and squirrel huntin’, and crawfishin’. But when Meely gets stuck on a rotting bridge deep in the bayou, it’s up to Rascal—with a little help from his old friends at the farm—to save his boy from danger.
In the spirit of Huckleberry Finn, Rascal is a classic coming-of-age story, but from a dog’s perspective. With unforgettable characters, heart-stopping action, and charming black-and-white line drawings that capture it all, this zesty gumbo of a book is one to savor long after it is finished.

Genres: Dogs, Childrens

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Animal lovers will certainly enjoy this appealing dog story, but the Cajun dialect frequently got on my nerves.

[Danny Mcalister · Rating 5 out of 5]

still one of my very favoirtes i read in 2023

[Molly Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up in Louisiana, possibly in the same area Rascal sets, and so I understood all the Cajun references. Rascal is one of the sweetest books I have ever read, and the dog on the cover looks just like my oldest dog, a beagle just like Rascal. The characters are brilliantly thought out- Big Ma was great and in the end, so was that one snake who turned out not to be as bad as he thought. And Meely's character was so sweer and adorable and sometimes lonely that I just wanted to hug him and maybe adopt him. Love this book!

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would be a fun audiobook.

[Deena · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the story, but the Cajun dialect got in the way.

[Lorraine Stinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

not the greatest dog book. Cajun dialect is distracting and the whole thing is a little hokie

[Aussie Dog]

I like this book because Boy could have any skin color. Rascal is the LA Lassie.

[Jennings Peeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

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A good mid-grade romp…holding this as "a kid and the kid's dog" book and, therefore, a probable for my granddaughters…
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[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this book 3.3 stars. It was a decent book. I liked the pictures in the book.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good use of dialect! Very believable accents!