My Sister Gracie

Fabio is an only dog. He longs for a brother to play with him, to share his toys, and to show off to his friends. His owners agree that Fabio should have companionship. The time has come to get another dog.

Much to Fabio’s horror, the dog they bring home is not the frisky brother he envisioned. It is fat old Gracie, fresh from the pound. She’s tired, she’s shy, and worst of all, she’s a girl. Fabio does everything he can to get rid of the interloper. But while it’s all right for him to complain about Gracie, just watch the fur fly when the other dogs make fun of her. Fabio realizes that families, and love, come in all shapes and sizes.

This story will be familiar to any child who has wanted a brother or sister and is surprised to find that what arrives is not the full-fledged playmate he or she expected.

Editorial Reviews

Leaden rhymes and clumsy anthropomorphism derail this story of a dog who hates his "sister." Fabio, a pooch with a puff of white poodle curls on his head, expects his family to acquire a second male dog as his playmate. He's disappointed when the humans choose an overweight female dog instead: "Gracie was large and lacking zest./ They said, `She'll need a lot of rest.' " Fabio resents Gracie and foresees a rotten future for himself ("Now why is Fabio sad and snappy?/ Gracie was meant to make him happy./ Why do his tears fall down like rain?/ `If Gracie would go, I'd laugh again' "). But when his canine friends mock his new family member ("Hey, Fatso, you're an/ Ugly hound./ Were you the last one at/ The pound?"), Fabio finally comes to Gracie's rescue. Unfortunately, readers will have a hard time understanding his change of heart. Johnson (Saranohair) draws Gracie as an indeterminate mammal with a pinkish-brown body, no visible fur, a catlike tail and a distinct resemblance to one of Berkeley Breathed's creations. Further, the author never supplies Gracie with a personality, and she styles Fabio as an unsympathetic fellow who weeps and insults other characters when he gets frustrated. This maudlin tale of undoglike, mean-spirited mutts fails as an account of sibling rivalry. Ages 3-5. (Nov.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

About The Author:

About The Author:

Gillian Johnson grew up in Winnipeg. She competed nationally in speed skating, but quit to finish university. She has given swimming lessons in Churchill and was a canoeing instructor in Flin Flon. She’s taught English in Czechoslovakia and high school in Ottawa. Throughout, she has drawn and written. Her first book, Saranohair, was awarded Honorable Mention for the Graphics Prize at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. She also created the illustrations for Richard Scrimger’s The Nose from Jupiter and Bun Bun’s Birthday. Gillian Johnson lives in England.