 Booklist
Wales' account of the U.S. Postal Service's first, and probably only,
canine mascot will strike a chord with animal lovers and inspire
inquiries into history and geography. In 1887, on a cold, rainy night
in Albany, New York, a postal worker takes pity on a shivering dog
that has taken shelter in the depot. Although it's against the rules,
the supervisor allows "Owney" to stay. One day, the dog
jumps aboard a mail train and discovers he likes riding the rails.
News of his adventures, which ultimately include a trip around the
world, spreads as he travels, and people give him baggage tags from
the places he visits. The overuse of exclamation points aside, the
narrative is clear and straightforward, and the scratchy, earth-toned
illustrations aptly convey both the scraggliness of the stray and
the nineteenth-century backdrop of the story. A satisfying tale,
all the more pleasing for being true. Diane Foote
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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 Chicago Tribune
1890s mutt makes good, worldwide. Owney (named after the kindly postal
clerk who let him stay that first night in Albany, N.Y.) became quite
the traveler, on the big boxcars in which mail was carried and sorted.
He received special tags from kennel clubs around the country and
was even issued a Japanese imperial passport. Though short on detail
about Owney's final days, the story passes pleasantly, riding on
the strength of Diane Kenna's illustrations and the quirkiness of
the story. Maybe we all like to see a free survivor in bureaucratic
space.
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Los Alamos Review of Books
"
A Lucky Dog: Owney, U.S. Rail Mail Mascot," written by Dirk Wales
of Santa Fe and illustrated by his long-time collaborator Diane Kenna,
will charm the hearts of child and adult. It has received favorable
national publicity including an American Library Association Booklist
recommendation. The story is aimed at children in the early to mid-elementary
grades.
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Coalition for Quality Children's Media
KIDS FIRST!™ Adult Juror Comments:
Ms. Kenna's wonderful illustrations lovingly illustrate the text and
offer a glimpse of life at the turn of the century from inside the
post office where Owney lived for nine years, to mail wagons and mail
cars.
KIDS FIRST!™ KID Juror Comments:
Here's a story that could have disappeared like milk bottles and
horse-drawn carriages - filled with values of good, old-fashioned
human kindness.
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Albany Public Library
The story has drama and pathos and will interest many levels of readers.
Jendy Murphy, Head of Children's Department
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The Storyteller Bookstore
We love selling A Lucky Dog.
Linda Higham, Founder
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Satisfied Reader
Little did I know [when I ordered A Lucky Dog - U.S. Rail Mail Mascot]
that I would receive such a treasure. A heart-warming story, wonderfully
written and with some of the best illustrations I've seen - it captures
the spirit of adventure, while at the same time reminding the reader
of the tenderness that exists when we reache out to our four-legged
friends.
Kathy Cottier
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