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Rowan
A child and a new puppy work through the difficult initial adjustments and soon belong to each other
1 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 1992
427 people want to read
About the author
Robin McKinley
43 books7,271 followersBorn in her mother's hometown of Warren, Ohio, Robin McKinley grew up an only child with a father in the United States Navy. She moved around frequently as a child and read copiously; she credits this background with the inspiration for her stories.
Her passion for reading was one of the most constant things in her childhood, so she began to remember events, places, and time periods by what books she read where. For example, she read Andrew Lang's Blue Fairy Book for the first time in California; The Chronicles of Narnia for the first time in New York; The Lord of the Rings for the first time in Japan; The Once and Future King for the first time in Maine. She still uses books to keep track of her life.
McKinley attended Gould Academy, a preparatory school in Bethel, Maine, and Dickinson College in 1970-1972. In 1975, she was graduated summa cum laude from Bowdoin College. In 1978, her first novel, Beauty, was accepted by the first publisher she sent it to, and she began her writing career, at age 26. At the time she was living in Brunswick, Maine. Since then she has lived in Boston, on a horse farm in Eastern Massachusetts, in New York City, in Blue Hill, Maine, and now in Hampshire, England, with her husband Peter Dickinson (also a writer, and with whom she co-wrote Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits in 2001) and two lurchers (crossbred sighthounds).
Over the years she has worked as an editor and transcriber (1972-73), research assistant (1976-77), bookstore clerk (1978), teacher and counselor (1978-79), editorial assistant (1979-81), barn manager (1981-82), free-lance editor (1982-85), and full-time writer. Other than writing and reading books, she divides her time mainly between walking her "hellhounds," gardening, cooking, playing the piano, homeopathy, change ringing, and keeping her blog.
Her passion for reading was one of the most constant things in her childhood, so she began to remember events, places, and time periods by what books she read where. For example, she read Andrew Lang's Blue Fairy Book for the first time in California; The Chronicles of Narnia for the first time in New York; The Lord of the Rings for the first time in Japan; The Once and Future King for the first time in Maine. She still uses books to keep track of her life.
McKinley attended Gould Academy, a preparatory school in Bethel, Maine, and Dickinson College in 1970-1972. In 1975, she was graduated summa cum laude from Bowdoin College. In 1978, her first novel, Beauty, was accepted by the first publisher she sent it to, and she began her writing career, at age 26. At the time she was living in Brunswick, Maine. Since then she has lived in Boston, on a horse farm in Eastern Massachusetts, in New York City, in Blue Hill, Maine, and now in Hampshire, England, with her husband Peter Dickinson (also a writer, and with whom she co-wrote Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits in 2001) and two lurchers (crossbred sighthounds).
Over the years she has worked as an editor and transcriber (1972-73), research assistant (1976-77), bookstore clerk (1978), teacher and counselor (1978-79), editorial assistant (1979-81), barn manager (1981-82), free-lance editor (1982-85), and full-time writer. Other than writing and reading books, she divides her time mainly between walking her "hellhounds," gardening, cooking, playing the piano, homeopathy, change ringing, and keeping her blog.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 9, 2010
McKinley loves her whippets, as any half-fan of hers knows, but the illustrations in this book don't do her prose - even her child-aimed prose - justice.
August 28, 2023
I have found the most awesome thing.
Maybe you all already know about it.
I have found the Internet Archive. A glorious place where you can borrow a huge selection of books, for free, without having a library card. You just make an account. Granted, you can't read the physical book, and you can't really read it on a kindle (unless you have a fire) so you have to have a tablet, or a computer, but it has everything! Including this picture book I've been trying to find for YEARS!
It has the Wildings of Westron! A book I read when I was, like, 12, and have been wanting to reread for forever!
I am so thrilled.
You have no idea. You mean I have found another source of free books so I don't have to spend money feeding my incurable habit?! Yes. That is indeed what has happened.
Anyway, this story.
The art is good.
The story is...meh.
It has too many words, and yet not enough words. It starts a story, but doesn't finish it. There's far too much build up and not enough conclusion. It doesn't sound like a kid. I didn't like it.
The art was adorable though. Now I know exactly what a whippet looks like. McKinley did a fantastic job of describing them in Deerskin, because that's what I imagined. I don't believe I've ever seen a whippet, so her powers of description are godlike.
Art: Cute
Story: Meh
Price: FREEEEEEEEE (On Internet Archive)
Maybe you all already know about it.
I have found the Internet Archive. A glorious place where you can borrow a huge selection of books, for free, without having a library card. You just make an account. Granted, you can't read the physical book, and you can't really read it on a kindle (unless you have a fire) so you have to have a tablet, or a computer, but it has everything! Including this picture book I've been trying to find for YEARS!
It has the Wildings of Westron! A book I read when I was, like, 12, and have been wanting to reread for forever!
I am so thrilled.
You have no idea. You mean I have found another source of free books so I don't have to spend money feeding my incurable habit?! Yes. That is indeed what has happened.
Anyway, this story.
The art is good.
The story is...meh.
It has too many words, and yet not enough words. It starts a story, but doesn't finish it. There's far too much build up and not enough conclusion. It doesn't sound like a kid. I didn't like it.
The art was adorable though. Now I know exactly what a whippet looks like. McKinley did a fantastic job of describing them in Deerskin, because that's what I imagined. I don't believe I've ever seen a whippet, so her powers of description are godlike.
Art: Cute
Story: Meh
Price: FREEEEEEEEE (On Internet Archive)
January 8, 2025
My name is Rowan, and I grew up with this book as a child. It will always hold a special place in my heart.
Read
January 22, 2014Ha! That's what I get for only looking at the author at the title of a book and not the synopsis! I had no idea this was a little kids book until I got it from the library!
Something called Rowan by Robin McKinley? I was expecting something quite different.
Something called Rowan by Robin McKinley? I was expecting something quite different.
June 3, 2008
A girl wants a dog.
She gets one.
Pretty much it's a children's book about choosing a dog and that first night of having a puppy.
Warning: there's vomit mentioned.
She gets one.
Pretty much it's a children's book about choosing a dog and that first night of having a puppy.
Warning: there's vomit mentioned.
February 4, 2011
It's amazing. Captured me from the start and I couldn't put it down.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews