ONE INCREDIBLE DOG! KIZZY
Chris Williams
Illustrated by Judith Friedman
Moo Press/Keene Publishing

INFORMATIVE READ … Highly Recommended … 5 stars

Kizzy is a R. E. A. D. dog who lives in New York. Summer Brown is a reporter. Today Summer will do a story about Kizzy. R. E. A. D. dogs help people practice reading. Some people struggle when they read, usually they struggle because they are nervous. It is Kizzy’s job to help them feel more secure. HE never laughs or makes fun when they toil over a word. The first stop of the day is the elementary school library. The children there know Kizzy and are happy to see him. Each child present has brought a book to read to Kizzy. Patting Kizzy’s soft fur helps the children feel more secure as they struggle to read hard words like –tornado-. When they gaze into Kizzy’s eyes they know he is cheering them on.

Next stop is the home of the Taylor’s. They are not children. Mrs. Taylor is learning to talk again after a stroke. It is Kizzy, and his Kizzy kisses, who is helping her learn to communicate again. A visit to the office of speech therapist Dr. Matthews finds Kizzy still hard at work. This time he aids Amber, she stutters. A visit to a home for teens who have found themselves in trouble with the law is one more stop on this busy day. Each time Kizzy visits the teenagers draw closer to him, practice reading and social skills, and begin to learn to take their place in the world where they will eventually live. The last visit of the day is to a school where children are learning to speak English as their second language.

My resident critics, 4th grade Wynona Elementary, OK, all eyed the book with Kizzy on the cover before settling in to listen. They take their job as ‘apprentice critics’ very seriously. They listened in rapt silence as the narrative began, and at the end agreed, ‘I wish Kizzy would come to listen to ME read.’

As with other books in this Incredible Dog series, ‘Lady’ the Therapy Dog, and ‘Boone’ the Rescue Dog, Kizzy has an important story to tell. My students were very impressed that a little dog could do so much to aid people who struggle to read. The story of Kizzy and his job with those who must exert great effort to read was one that really touched a chord with my students who also have moments when they tussle over a word or phrase. The book provides a starting point for talking about reading, how hard it is to learn to read and comprehend what we have read, and how nice it is to read when we know no one will laugh if we miscall or misunderstand.

‘Kizzy’ the book is very well made, has to be to stand up to the near constant use it faces in my classroom. My copy of ‘Boone’ and my copy of ‘Kizzy’ are chosen almost daily by children for their free choice reading period. ‘Boone’ is forever marked, my new pup chewed one corner when I first received it, however, the story is so compelling, and the children all know my little Dachshund Guye is the culprit that they only chuckle and carry the book to a corner to read alone or read with a friend. The book, well read for most of two years, is in excellent condition despite so much use and a small ‘chawed corner.’ I expect this copy of Kizzy will be as sturdy.

Enjoyed the read, happy to recommend. Two thumbs up per student from 4th grade.