Piper

by Emma Chichester Clark

A young dog runs away from its cruel master but finds a new home after saving the life of an old woman.

Genres: Picture Books, Dogs, Animals, Childrens, Love, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Education:
Chelsea School of Art, B.A. (with honors), 1978;
Royal College of Art, M.A. (with honors), 1983.

Additional information about her life can be found at:
http://biography.jrank.org/pages/1059...

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Piper is a dog who has been taught to be kind and helpful by his mother. When his new owner comes to buy him we feared he would not be a good one and sadly we were right. After a lovely scene with some rabbits things get bad for Piper and eventually he runs away.

This is a beautiful picture book with an enjoyable story, some humour and a happy ending.

Read on openlibrary.

[Lydia Moses · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a black dog and my sister came up with the name Piper for her. Little did I know, she had this book and this is how she came up with the name. This book is about a dog whose mother tells him advice on how to make a good pet. Unfortunately, he is adopted into a house where the owner is mean to Piper because he is not completely obeying orders. He runs away to the big city where after some time he gets his happy ending with a nice old lady. Overall, I liked this book and I wish my dog was more obedient like the Piper in the story is.

[Lesley Looper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story! The part where Piper "takes care" of the rabbits in the farmer's garden by playing with them made me smile. (I could probably do that only because I'd never HAD a garden!) Really enjoyed the illustrations too.

[Dolph Spaghetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

growing up and being forced to read books constantly, i always despised reading. however as a kid for some reason this one childrens book, about a dog that looked like our dog at the time, was always my favorite. every time we went to the library i always sought out this book and they usually didnt have it, but every time they did i always got it and i loved reading it. i never really stopped thinking about it to be honest. every once in a while i'll reminisce about those times and it makes me feel warm and comfortable. i only thought to find it and read it again for the first time now and im really happy that i did. the artwork is genuinely beautiful and the story made me cry a lot more than i ever did reading it as a kid. im thankful for this book existing and being a big part of my childhood and i will forever cherish this <3

[Jennifer Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fictional story is about a goo dog who was sold to a mean man who tried to make him a mean dog. The dog did not want to be mean so he ran away and ended up saving an old woman life. This old woman adopted him and protected him.

Tags: Loyalty, kindness, selflessness, dogs

[Cara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really hoping this would be a winner since my nieces’ dog is called Piper and this could have been a fun gift. Alas, the story doesn’t provide anything new or interesting and gives off a sad Black Beauty vibe.

[Andi Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Multiple people have suggested this book to me bc I have a daughter named Piper. The only thing is: the dog named Piper in this book is a boy, which my Piper is not a fan of. 😆 Still, the story has a good message. We don’t like the harshness of the bad guy, though, so probs won’t read it again.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story that reminded me a little of Fox and the Hound. Could be scary for younger or more sensitive readers.

[Liz Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note—the dog gets hit by an unkind owner at the beginning...

[Miss Perry]

Beautifully illustrated.
A sad reality of bad dog owners where Piper is forced to run away, yet with a pleasing and happy ending.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the bittersweet story of a mistreated dog who escapes his cruel owner and finds a new home with a kind and loving older lady. This will appeal to both child and adult dog lovers.

[Claire Joicey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sweetest little picture book, perfect for animal lovers, and for 3-6 year olds

[Arminzerella · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young dog named Piper is adopted by a grumpy older man who commands him to “take care of” the rabbits in the garden.” Piper interprets this somewhat differently than his owner, and teaches the rabbits some new tricks instead of running them off. His master is upset with him and punishes him – leaving him tied to a shed with nothing to eat. When Mr. Jones brings back a new, vicious dog, Piper runs away. He’s hungry, tired, scared, and lonely when he reaches the city, but he still steps in to protect an old woman crossing the street. Injured in the process of rescuing her, Piper slinks off to rest in some bushes, but people find him and bring him back to the woman, who wants to adopt him. When Mr. Jones declares he has no use for Piper, Piper can finally relax into his new (and much preferred) home.

This makes me cry every time I read it. Piper is such a sweet dog, and Mr. Jones is so mean to him. It’s so satisfying when Piper finally finds someone to love, who is willing and able to love him back just as much as he needs. Story and illustrations are pitch-perfect. Readers can tell exactly how Piper is feeling from the expressive artwork – watch his tail, ears, body position. Emma Chichester Clark knows dogs.

[Cynthia June Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

Piper the dog runs away from a mean master and finds a loving mistress. A grim and disappointing offering from the author of the lighthearted "No More Kissing" and Blue Kangaroo books. Sad beginning, happy ending. Good word choice conveys tone: "fierce" and "grimly." Dark illustrations (oil? not sure) do a skilled job of conveying the scenery of the text, especially the "lonely crooked house" with a gray sky background and the (from the dog's point of view) intimidating cityscape painted (?) in browns and grays. I credit the author with expanding her repertoire and acknowledge that my expectations for a lighter book may have influenced my reading. Probably too dark to use in preschool story-time, but perhaps it might fit into a lower elementary unit on not-fitting-in or perseverance. The best part is when Piper "took care of" the rabbits by playing with them instead of hunting them because the master poorly explained the command. Then the rabbits brought him food. I would have liked to see more of the rabbits.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Piper escapes from an awful owner and is forced to survive on his own, hoping to find a home of his own. Along the way he saves the life of an old lady, but is injured in the process...

Not a sad book, don't worry. The lady has him found, and ends up keeping him after an unpleasant encounter with his old owner.

[현순 최 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives me love. Piper, a little puppy learned a good advice from his mother. When he grew up, he leave home. Mr. Jones treats him badly. Finally he escapes from a bad owner. As he came to a big city , he saves an old lady's lives. Later they lived happily together. Eventhough animals don't speak at all, they have same emotion like human being. Sometimes we can learn something from them.

[Cara Byrne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pulled off a shelf because of an acquaintance with a sweet, spunky black dog named Piper, we enjoyed some nice moments in this book (bunnies feeding kind Piper lettuce and Piper and the Old Lady watching a sunset together), but the narrative is lacking and some of the pictures (including the Old Lady in a stretcher and Brutus the dog coming into Piper's life) are a little disarming.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice story about a dog who started off with a mean owner and ran away to find a better life. The author lays on the drama and cliche a bit thickly, but it's a good tale. We've read this one a few times.

[Jennifer Oaks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked how the book showed that you must not follow command if you know it is wrong. The dog ended up being a hero and prevented an old lady from being hit by a car. The book brings awareness to animam cruelty.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story, although it seemed to happen too quick and easy. Kind of like 101 Dalmatians in terms of cruel owner.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heartbreaker about a dog.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet little story that my kids keep checking out over and over from the library.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Piper finally finds the right owner....

[Brittnee · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweet book!

[Tatum Edwards]

If kids like sad books with a happy ending and animals then this is the book for them.