Hello, Goodbye, I Love You: The Story of Aloha, A Guide Dog for the Blind (1)

by Pamela Bauer Mueller

One Boy -- One Dog -- One Dream Life is not easy for twelve-year-old Diego Escobár.  It was wonderful raising Aloha from puppyhood to eighteen months, but now he must return her to the guide dog school for her formal training.  Diego always knew that Aloha was on loan to him, but letting her go is proving to be the hardest challenge of his young life. In this tender, inspirational tale, based on the true-life story of Aloha, Diego discovers that the sweet and sad in life are often interwoven.  The unconditional love and trust between Aloha and Diego will enable her to become the dog she was bred to be.  In giving her up, Diego gains unexpected rewards. “Wherever you go, you will walk with a piece of my heart beside you.”

Genres: Dogs, Animals, Disability

160 pages, Paperback

First published February 22, 2003

About the author

Pamela Bauer Mueller was raised in Oregon. She has worked as a flight attendant, commercial model and actress, English and Spanish teacher and a U.S. Customs Inspector. She now lives on Jekyll Island Georgia with her husband Michael and their cat Morgan Maurice.

Pamela's children and young adult books have awarded her numerous awards, including the 2006/2008 and the 2009 Georgia Author of the Year titles, three Mom's Choice and Children’s Choice gold medals, the Independent Publisher Gold Book awards and other national awards with Writer's Digest and ForeWord magazines. In her seventh historical novel, she recounts the life story of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, an unintended and inadvertent participant in the Lincoln assassination story.

Reviews

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

"...I feel there are far more tragic circumstances than blindness. We can still love, and with all the sight in the world, the absence of love would form a handicap too terrible to imagine."

It fascinates me how books - merely inanimate objects of paper and print - can transform a reader's heart, imagination and perception of what is possible. "Hello, Goodbye, I Love You" rang my heart chords often and left me feeling inspired to see the beauty in everything, big and small, and everyone, loved one or stranger. Pamela Bauer Mueller presents a fluid story of supporting family, overcoming tragedy and, in Diego's case, loving a dog enough to let it go. Diego is a teenage boy who has undertaken the task of training a puppy, Aloha, to become a guide dog for a blind person. Along the way, he learns what it means to love and to be loved. More importantly, he is able to do something meaningful for someone who will never be able to fully repay him.

As a dog owner who knows just how much my dog (or "little boy," as my wife and I refer to him) means to me, I found this story to be moving and meaningful. Beyond relating to Diego's emotional attachment to Aloha, I also found the story to be a potential learning tool for other readers to appreciate that blind people can see, feel and live a lot more than many people judge them capable. After reading this story, I predict readers won't "see" certain things and situations the same.

[Stephanie Pieck · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I picked out this book, I just thought it was the story of a boy raising a puppy to be a guide dog. When I discovered that it was about a boy raising a puppy for Guide Dogs for the Blind, the school that trained my previous and current guide dogs, I got pretty excited.
Then I started reading--and couldn't stop crying! I could relate to so many of the characters and their experiences on a deeply personal level. Partnering with a guide dog is a process, and like any intimate, long-term relationship, it reaches places in the heart that little else can short of marriage, parenthood, or once-in-a-lifetime friendships. Going into combat might also make this list.
Diego, a teenager in a small Portland, OR, suburb, decides to raise a puppy because it sounds interesting. He's also hoping it will help him overcome his shyness. His best friend also decides to raise a pup.
The boys are paired with sister puppies, Aloha and Alma. Their chapters alternate with those of the woman who will eventually receive a guide dog.
The book is short enough for anyone to read, from kids to adults. It provides a realistic portrait of what puppies in training must learn, as well as the deeply emotional experiences of everyone involved of shaping the puppies into potential guides.
I recommend this book to anyone wanting to know more about what guide dogs do, how they're trained, and the way a guide dog partner has an impact on the life of the blind person who receives one.
I salute and thank everyone who raises a puppy. It is a gift of selfless love and service and one of the most challenging things to do. Sometimes, when you love something unconditionally, you must let them go for them to flourish, and puppy raisers do this again and again.
I would not have my wonderful partner, Stardust, without the people who loved her and taught her. Even if you only donate a dollar or two to a guide dog school, know that your contribution does make a difference.

[Dixie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I am a Puppy Raiser for Canine Companions, a friend from Jekyll Island told me her friend living in that area wrote this book & she thought I would enjoy it. It's supposed to be for older children. I did enjoy it, overall it does a good job of describing how attached puppy raisers/trainers get to the dogs they work with & some of the intricacies of the training & socialization. The book also goes into some of the details for those who receive the dogs that do make it in the program. I liked that the author did her research & included details like only 50% of the dogs make it in the program.
I would recommend this to children and families thinking of training a potential service/guide dog. It has the emotions that we all experience when working with and 'giving up' these wonderful dogs, in hopes that they become someone's special partner in life.

[Dakota Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very moving, simple story yet powerful and interesting…never know too much about the easing and training needed for a guide dog

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up on a trip to Jekyll Island, noting it was a local author. I thought my youngest, who is dog crazy, might enjoy learning more about how these dogs are trained. I enjoy how the dog connected two generations, gave new independence to his owner and taught responsibility to the boy that raised him.

[Sera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just like the title says.
Truthfully it's been six years since I last read this but I remember loving this book very much. I found it bittersweet especially the experience of raising and parting with the dog as described in the book. Extremely touching how one dig can make such a huge difference in the lives of many people.
Highly recommended.

[Rose]

JF Mue

[Sally Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sweet story of a young boy's adventure raising a Guide Dog.