Good Dog McTavish

The McTavish Stories #1

by Meg Rosoff, Grace Easton (Illustrator)

The Peachey family is in crisis. No one cooks dinner, no one picks up the dirty washing and the kids are always late for school. All because Mum has resigned from being Mum and taken up yoga instead. She's in the tree pose; everyone else is in the doghouse. Except McTavish, a rescue dog with a difference, on a mission to sort his new family out...Filled to the brim with Meg's wry humour and beautiful prose, this is a story for the young and the young at heart.

Genres: Animals, Fiction, Family, Middle Grade, Dogs, Childrens, Chapter Books

112 pages, Paperback

Published April 6, 2017

About the author

Meg Rosoff was born in Boston and had three or four careers in publishing and advertising before she moved to London in 1989, where she lives now with her husband and daughter. Formerly a Young Adult author, Meg has earned numerous prizes including the highest American and British honors for YA fiction: the Michael L. Printz Award and the Carnegie Medal.

Reviews

[Bart Moeyaert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Een paar weken geleden las ik ‘Goeie ouwe George’ van Meg Rosoff uit. Ik voegde het boek glimlachend toe aan de jeugdromans van Rosoff in mijn kast, en ik werd niet bepaald door belangrijke gedachten gestoord. Vermakelijk, licht, leuk, aan zulke woorden dacht ik. Dit verhaal over het gezin Appeltje, een gezin waarin het een beetje rommelt, las als een trein. Fijn en dank je wel.

Mama Appeltje heeft er geen zin meer in. Altijd maar opruimen en redderen en zorgen, terwijl de rest van het gezin op haar leunt, nee, ze heeft het helemaal gehad. Ze gaat aan zichzelf werken en voor zichzelf zorgen door onder andere yogalessen te nemen. De andere Appeltjes laat ze hangen.
In het asiel kiest de jongste dochter, die de hele situatie nuchter probeert te bekijken, voor een bepaalde hond. Of is het andersom? Zorgt George ervoor dat hij gekozen wordt? De hond beseft dat het “veel geduld, discipline en hard werken zal kosten” om dit gezin te helpen.

Het gekke is dat dit boek nu, weken later, nog af en toe mijn gedachten doorkruist. Dat verbaast me. Er blijkt iets te blijven jeuken. De manier waarop Rosoff de zaken omkeert is slim: dat mensen net als huisdieren zijn en ‘opgevoed’ moeten worden. Die gedachte werkt bij mij door. ‘Goeie ouwe George’ is meer dan alleen maar luchtig.

‘Goeie ouwe George’ is uit het Engels vertaald door Jenny de Jonge en geïllustreerd door Georgien Overwater.

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edit: 2018, I totally forgot to post my full review for this one. Oopsie. I may be re-reading it soon.

This was a cute book, about a dog and his plan to save this family that is falling apart. Yep, falling
apart, without the help of the mom no one can do anything. It was quite fun to see what the dog's plans were and how hard he worked to get everything right again. Betty was definitely my favourite character, I loved how wise she was. The book also had gorgeous illustrations. I wish there were more of them. :)

Though I did think it was a bit weird that a girl, 8 (but almost 9, as gets repeated MANY MANY TIMES), and a her dog have to do everything for her family. The dad was pretty useless, and I also couldn't sympathise with the mom and her decisions. I get that you want to do something else for a while, but then maybe you shouldn't have gotten married/gotten kids. :|

[Rebecca Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meg Rosoff’s Good Dog, McTavish is a lovely and easy read about a clever dog who adopts a family in crisis. This simple children’s book features cute illustrations by Grace Easton. While I enjoyed this quick and charming story, I would have liked more illustrations and for the characters and writing to be a little more developed.

Ma Peachey is overworked and underappreciated. When she decides to give up being a mother and takes up yoga, the Peachey family descends into chaos. There’s no one to cook dinner, the house is in shambles, everyone is always late, and there’s constant squabbling. Enter McTavish, a rescue dog with a mission to whip the Peachey family into shape!

This is a really cute book that you can speed through in a few hours. Rosoff’s writing is approachably simple while also being entertaining and lightly humorous. I like that she features important life lessons but avoids being didactic. The gradual change in the Peacheys feels natural and it’s great to see them learn and grow. But, while the ending is sweet and fitting, I wish that it was a little more definitive.

I love the adorably clever McTavish! I hope that he appears in more books. I also like the Peacheys, especially sensible and sensitive Betty. However, I would have liked the other children to be slightly less stereotypical.

Easton’s illustrations are lovely, simple, and nicely support the writing. However, I do wish that they were more detailed. I would have also liked some more illustrations.

Good Dog, McTavish is a charming and fun read featuring a brilliant and memorable dog. I quite like this book and I really hope to see more of McTavish’s adventures. This book is perfect for middle-grade readers but adults can definitely find a worthwhile lesson or two in this!

Thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for this book in exchange for an honest review.

🐶 🐶 🐶 🐶 ½ brilliantly memorable puppies out of 5!

[Kirsten Paoline König · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wat een heerlijk boek van de onovertroffen Meg Rosoff 🐶 Zelfs als je geen hondenmeisje bent, val je voor de charmes van George.

Deze uit het asiel geadopteerde hond redt de familie Appeltje eigenlijk van hun zooi en ongedisciplineerdheid nadat mama nogal into the yoga raakt en dreigt met haar knappe yogaleraar een reis naar India te boeken.

George leert zijn familie het zelf te doen: opruimen, wassen en zelfs koken. En dat alles met zijn trouwe hondenogen en hulp van de lieve bijna-negenjarige Bettie (die het verstandigst van het hele spul is en het boek draagt). Lief, grappig en geschikt voor beginnende of minder geoefende lezers dankzij de fijne bladspiegel en ondersteuning van de illustraties van Georgien Overwater.

#7plus #vertaling #JennyDeJonge

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

God Dog, McTavish is a fun and entertaining story of a busy family that was in need of a family pet. Everyone in the family seemed a bit out of routine, always relying on mom. She was tired of endless chores and no appreciation or support from the family, so she went on strike. She stopped doing laundry, cleaning anything, cooking or getting anyone ready for school. While mom was off doing yoga, dad and the kids adopted a new pet, McTavish. McTavish was the perfect pet, not because he didn’t chew on their stuff or ever bark, but because he got them to all be a bit more responsible.
This is an adorable chapter book about family life and welcoming a new member into your family.
Thank you to Candlewick Press and NetGalley for this advanced copy.

[Izabelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jag förstår vad den här boken försöker göra. Den försöker belysa hur mycket ansvar mammor tar i familjen med städning, matlagning och planering. Men vad händer när mamman säger upp sig och istället fokuserar på jobbet och på yoga?

Jag hade tyckt att det var betydligt bättre om pappan i familjen lärde sig ta ansvar. Istället är det HUNDEN och BARNEN som styr upp tillvaron tillslut. Det lämnar liksom en liten unken smak i munnen för mig.

[Trulsa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Väldigt mysig bok om hunden McTavish som styr upp familjen Peachey efter att mamma Peachey slutar laga mat, städa, väcka, tjata, uppfostra etc etc och allt såklart förfaller.
Jag blev lite besviken på att lösningen på problemen bland annat var att barnen har lagad middag redo på bordet när pappan kommer hem. What. Och att pappan är lika värdelös i slutet på boken som i början. Kan vara så att det enbart är det fantastiska hundnamnet McTavish som drar upp betyget från 2 till 3 stjärnor.

[Marleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een heerlijk kinderboek over een hond, George, die terechtkomt in een chaotisch gezin (de familie Appeltje!) en met een aantal bijzonder snuggere plannetjes komt om de boel weer op de rit te krijgen. Vaak hardop gelachen en de illustraties van Georgien Overwater maken het doldwaze boek voor 9+ met allerlei leerzame elementen helemaal af.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

On one hand, I laughed hard. On the other hand, adult jokes masquerading as children’s entertainment is a pet peeve of mine. Three stars is my compromise rating.

[Desca Ang · Rating 4 out of 5]

DISCLAIMER: The book is given by NetGalley, the author and the publisher in exchange of an honest review. All the review written is not related to any personal issues or connection.

TRIGGER: This is a sweet graphic children book. The illustrations provided are in black and white yet they do not lessen the essence of this sweet story.  

Publication Date: 9 April 2019



"Sometimes McTavish felt a little sorry for humans. There was no question at all that even a run-of-the-mill dog had a better life than a moderately clever human, though every human McTavish had ever met considered himself vastly superior to all other members of all the animal kingdom. Humans were puzzlingly dim. McTavish sighed. There was so much work to do..."



"McTavish laid his head on his front paws and gazed at the ceiling. He knew that humans were an inferior race, but their foolishness never ceased to amaze them. Why? he thought. Why can't they think for themselves..."

This book comes as a fun book for me. McTavish, the dog seems like more than a human. He knows that the family needs and he is willing to teach the family a lesson they will never forget. The book is published on 9 April 2019 and can be purchased now. Yet I cannot wait to read more stories of McTavish soon. Thank you, Ms. Rosoff for writing such fun story and thank you, Ms. Easton for the illustrations. They really make my day. 

Full review: https://literatureisliving.wordpress....

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens with a mom decides that she is tired of doing thing for the family and goes on strike?

In this case, the family goes out and gets a dog, and a good thing to, or else they would have starved to death and warn dirty clothes the rest of their natural lives.

This is such a fun book. McTavish, the dog, knows that the family is broken, and uses his wiles to get the family to start, gasp, doing things for themselves.




For example, when they dont't wash their own clothes, he takes them and hides them until they run out of anything to wear, and have to get the clothes back, and wash out the dog smell.

And when he stops eating, Betty, the youngest, asks the vet what the dog should eat, and so she starts making veggies and chicken and rice for the dog, and it smells so good, and tastes so good, that the kids give up eating junk food to eat the "dog food."

Will the mother come off strike? Will every one survive? Will they ever get to school on time?

So much fun, and I hope there are more stories about McTavish at some point.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Ümit Mutlu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Çok zekice yazılmış bir kitap bu. Maskelediklerinin altındakiler çok değerli, üstündekilerse çok eğlenceli.

"Ailedeki yerini hak eden her köpek, evi kendine göre ayarlamayı bilirdi. İşin kilit noktası, düzenli yemek ve yürüyüş saatlerini belirlemekti. Sonra günün büyük bir kısmını uyuklayarak geçirecek, bu sırada insanlar her şeyin parasını ödemek için çalışıp para kazanacaktı. Üstün zekâlı köpekler etin en güzel yerini yiyebilir, şehir dışına seyahate çıkabilir ve kimse pansiyonun ya da benzinin parasını onlara ödetmeye kalkmaz.
Buna karşılık, orta zekâlı insanlar dayanamadıkları patronlarla, nefret ettikleri işlerde saatlerce köle gibi çalışır; gün geçtikçe daha da mutsuz olurlar. Yılda bir ya da iki kez, bir haftalığına deniz kenarına giderler, orada da her zaman yağmur yağar."

Köpek olan kim?

[Güntülü Yılmaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kitaba başlarken önce bir bozuldum, umarım umarım umarım düşündüğüm şeyle karşılaşmam dedim. Özellikle annelikten istifa eden annenin bırakamayacağı görevlerin üstüne basıldıkça sahiden tedirgin oldum. Sonra öyle güzel, öyle tatlı kitabı anladım ki düşündüklerimden utandım. :)

Dağınık, bencil ve üzerinize yığılıveren bir aileniz mi var? Hemen istifanızı verin ve sorumluluk almayı öğrenmek neymiş, izleyin. :) Sahiden çok güzel kitap, çok güzel köpek.

[Charlotte Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect read aloud for dog lovers. My son and I needed some quiet time together. This fit the bill. And, to be for ages 8 and up, this has some great and unexpected vocabulary. My son did not want me to stop reading. I call that a win.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes I would also like to go on strike

[Ashley Lambert-Maberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I received this book for free through an early reviewer program).

This was a perfectly pleasant, forgettable book. If you stumble over it on a shelf at the cottage, by all means, read it, but I wouldn't go out of my way to acquire it. Granted, I'm a 53-year-old, so not the target market, but I read heavily in the Children's Literature arena and I know there are more exciting options out there.

The author is attempting to do two main things, and neither one is carried off with any great panache or skill.

The first would be to maintain a somewhat whimsical, eccentric tone (e.g. Roald Dahl), such as the mother shirking her emotional labour to concentrate on yoga, but these attempts are inconsistent, unbelievable, and not particularly exciting. The second is to demonstrate the dog's amazing ability to fix to the family by initiating a series of plans--but again, not particularly exciting (an example: he fixes the family's inability to do laundry by picking up their clothes and moving them by his bed, thereby encouraging them to clean up after themselves. Now there's a page-turner!)

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).

[Leonard Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe it’s because I’m American, but I’m not sure this is leveled properly for what seems to be its intended audience, or perhaps it is leveled properly for an audience more imagined than real.

[Tanja von Der Duft von Büchern und Kaffee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inhalt:

Auf Mama Peacheys Ankündigung, dass sie ihren Job als Mutter an den Nagel hängen möchte, reagiert der Rest der Familie mit Begeisterung. Keine Vorschriften mehr, kein Gemecker, wenn etwas anders läuft als geplant, und morgens solange schlafen wie man möchte. Das klingt doch fabelhaft. Schon nach wenigen Tagen müssen Ava, Olli und Papa allerdings feststellen, was die jüngste Tochter der Familie, Betty, schon längst geahnt hat: Ohne Mama drohen Kontrollverlust und Anarchie.

Bald schon türmen sich Berge an Schmutzwäsche, der Abwasch wird nicht mehr gemacht und jeden Tag gibt es nur noch Pizza. Im Bad herrscht morgens heilloses Durcheinander. Betty weiß,dass irgendetwas passieren muss. Ein Hund muss her.

Die Familie, mit Ausnahme von Papa, spricht sich geschlossen für den Hund aus. Papa wird von den restlichen Peacheys überstimmt und muss mit ins Tierheim fahren. Jeder hat seine eigene Vorstellung vom perfekten Hund. Doch letztlich ist es wieder Betty, die eine Entscheidung trifft. Es soll die schweigsame und zurückhaltende Promenadenmischung namens Mister Tavish werden.

Mister Tavish bekommt ein selbstgenähtes Körbchen von Betty und den besten Platz unter der Treppe, von wo aus er alles beobachten kann. Und das tut das neue Familienmitglied auch - und zwar ausgiebig. Einen ganzen Tag lang analysiert Mister Tavish das Verhalten seiner neuen Familie. Schnell stellt er fest, dass die Peacheys dringend Hilfe nötig haben.



Im Detail:

Seitdem Mama Peachey ihren Job als Mutter gekündigt hat, läuft alles drunter und drüber. Mama lässt Papas schlechte Laune und das Chaos, das allmählich in der Wohnung Überhand zu nehmen droht, jedoch völlig kalt. Sie praktiziert ihre Yogaübungen, kocht sich gesundes Essen und plant sogar mit dem attraktivem und jungen neuen Yogalehrer Pradeep nach Indien zu gehen und ihr „spirituelles Ich“ zu erforschen. Als Papa von diesen Plänen hört, rastet er vollkommen aus.
Betty erkennt, dass ihre Familie dringend Hilfe benötigt. Mit Mister Tavish soll wieder Ordnung ins Haus einkehren.

Im ersten Moment empfand ich die Idee der Familie Peachey, sich einen Hund anzuschaffen, als ziemlich unüberlegt. Ein Hund braucht Pflege, jemanden, der sich um ihn kümmert und Aufmerksamkeit. Also all das, was die Familie Peachey zur Zeit scheinbar überhaupt nicht bieten kann. Ich war mir nicht sicher, ob das Buch hier nicht eine falsche Botschaft vermittelt. Nämlich die, dass man sich in Krisensituationen noch mehr Probleme auflädt, anstatt an Lösungen zu arbeiten.

Dieser Kritikpunkt schmälert den positiven Gesamteindruck jedoch kaum: Denn Mister Tavish stellt den Ruhepol dar, den die Familie so dringend benötigt. Gemeinsam mit dem jüngsten und auch klügsten Familienmitglied, der kleinen Betty, überlegt er sich einen Plan, wie die Familie noch geretten werden kann. Eigentlich benötigt die Familie nur einen kleinen Schubser in die richtige Richtung, ein paar Anregungen und ein klein wenig Hilfe von eben diesem klugen und ruhigen Mister Tavish.

Im Tierheim darf sich die Familie nicht einfach nur einen Hund aussuchen und diesen mit nach Hause nehmen. Zuerst muss noch ein Fragebogen ausgefüllt werden. Auch hierbei hebt sich Betty wieder durch ihre Intelligenz von ihrer Familie ab. Jüngere Leser/innen lernen hier ganz nebenbei, gemeinsam mit der Familie Peachey, dass ein Haustier auch Ansprüche stellt.

Im Anschluss an die Geschichte findet der geneigte Leser auch noch einmal eine übersichtliche Auflistung - kindgerecht formuliert - in der er erfährt, was ein Hund alles benötigt.

Ein weiteres schönes Special findet sich ebenfalls auf den letzten Seiten. Hier gibt es noch ein Rezept zum Nachkochen, das in der Geschichte eine wichtige Rolle spielt.

Außerdem erklärt die Autorin, wie die Romanfigur Mister Tavish entstanden ist.
Im Nachwort wird erwähnt, dass sämtliche Autorenhonorare der Wohltätigkeitsorganisation, „Blue Cross“, zur Verfügung gestellt werden. Bei Blue Cross handelt es sich um eine Organisation, die sich seit 1897 dafür einsetzt, herrenlosen, ungewollten, kranken und verletzten Haustieren ein glücklicheres Zuhause zu bieten.



Fazit:

Mütter sind Managerin, Putzfrau, Köchin, Taxifahrerin, Krankenschwester und Chauffeurin in einer Person. Ein Job, der so hart ist, dass er eigentlich öfter gekündigt werden müsste.
„Glück für alle Felle“ ist die zauberhafte Geschichte einer chaotischen Familie, die von einem Tag auf den anderen ohne ihre Allrounderin alleine den Alltag bewältigen muss. Mit Mister Tavish zieht aber ein Mischlingsrüde in den Haushalt ein, der wieder für Ordnung sorgt.

Chaotische Familien waren schon immer bester Lesestoff. Ein bisschen verkorkst müssen die Verhältnisse sein, ungewöhnlich die Familiensituation.

Meg Rosoffs Buch ist kleinteilig, mit Herzenswärme und dem ihm eigenen Schalk.
Jüngere Leser werden sich von ihr angesprochen fühlen. Ältere aber auch. Eine absolute Leseempfehlung.



Buchzitate:

Angesichts der Tatsache, dass sie von vollkommen verschiedenen Arten abstammten, hatten Betty und Mister Tavish bemerkenswert ähnliche Gemüter. Sie sehnten sich beide nach Harmonie und Odnung. Und so wurden sie Verbündete.

[Pammycats · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Dog, McTavish
Written by: Meg Rosoff
Illustrated by: Grace Easton

I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Plot and Characters
Mom resigning to work on her yoga poses is slightly annoying as a plot device. Yes, moms are definitely under appreciated. Yes, no one understands how much work goes into making things run smoothly. No mom, in reality, unless there are serious problems and/or issues, would abandon her children. The “Mom Patrol’ would report her to social services. However, I want you to take a deep calming breath and just try to see this as a fantasy idea that moves the plot forward and places the focus on 8 year old Betty and McTavish. Now, relax and enjoy the rest of the book.

Love the very clever word play that occurs in this book. For instance, “Cuddles Home for Unclaimed Mutts - CHUM”. Kids will love too how the author turns around the concept of adopting a homeless dog into a dog deciding to adopt a needy and sad family. McTavish sees instantly that his “rescue” family needs help. He sets forth on a series of plans to rehabilitate their family. His behavior is always canine in nature. There is no magic or dogs having conversations with humans. For instance, when McTavish sees that no one can manage to get themselves out the door on time, he initiates a series of well-timed barks to get everyone moving. When he dislikes being fed pizza for dinner, he refuses to eat in order to get them cooking healthy meals for him (and eventually themselves). Of course, all ends well. The family becomes well functioning which translates into happy as they learn how to be self sufficient.

Illustrations
The illustrations in this book are simple but exuberant. There are smooth curves and flowing lines with lovely little details. Kids will love the expressions on McTavish”s face. The illustrator manages to capture a range of emotions - long suffering irritation at pizza in his dish, resigned acceptance, almost parental love at the end for his girl, The
human characters perhaps show less interesting expressions but then they are not the focus of this narrative. Overall, the pictures add an important layer to the story.

Conclusion
This book is completely adorable. Kids will revel in the idea of McTavish rescuing his poor family from utter lawlessness. However, I must warn you, after reading this book, your kids will want a dog. If they have a dog, this book will lead to utter blissful play with their pooches. Hey, not a bad idea!

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Multiple award-winning author Meg Rosoff has written an adorable story for middle graders about a family in trouble rescued by a very smart dog named McTavish.

The Peachey family goes into crisis mode when Ma Peachey decides to stop being a mother, declaring:

“I give up. No more cooking and cleaning and finding lost keys. No more keeping track of your appointments and nagging you to clean up your rooms. No more boring, thankless jobs. I quit. . . . I’m tired of having to shout at everyone to wake up, go to bed, put away the laundry, say please, say thank you, clear the dishes, stop fighting. . . . So yes, you could say I’ve resigned. For now anyway. I am taking time out to pursue peace and quiet. From now on, the only person I am in charge of is me.”

And Ma Peachey thereafter did yoga all day.

The house became a mess and the family ate frozen dinners or take-out meals. They had no clean clothes and wouldn’t have been able to find them if they did:

“There was a great deal more squabbling and a great deal more squalor.”

Betty, not yet 9, announced she was feeling “lost, lonesome, and lacking in love.” She proposed they get a dog. They went to the shelter, and Betty picked out McTavish.

McTavish was a “psychological mastermind.” He could see the Peachey family was in trouble, and McTavish mused about what to do:

“He knew that humans were an inferior race, but their foolishness never ceased to amaze him. Why? he thought. Why can’t they think for themselves?”

McTavish would have to do the thinking for them. He came up with three plans to get the Peacheys back on track, and of course, his plans worked brilliantly. He concluded:

“As with most humans, all they’d needed was training, combined with common sense and discipline. Despite their early lack of promise, McTavish felt certain that the Peacheys would turn out fine.”

The book includes intermittent illustrations by Grace Easton.

Evaluation: This is a delightful story, and as a welcome side feature, may get children to think about the nature of stereotypical family and gender roles, as well as give them an appreciation for all that is done for them by their parents.

[whatbooknext · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Peachey family are a mess. Their house is a mess. They disagree on everything. They are late,Good Dog McTavish Book Review Cover disorganised and grumpy. Ma Peachey has given up on them and resigned from all motherly duties to pursue her yoga.

No one seems to notice until there are no clean undies, school uniforms go missing, matching shoes are like ancient artefacts (you have to dig through the mess to find them), and dinners are whatever takeaway is the easiest.

Betty at nearly nine is feeling lost and unloved. She proposes they get a dog. The uproar is loud and long, but they end up visiting the local dog home together. Choosing a dog is an in depth process, but there is the perfect dog just waiting for them. He decides to adopt the Peachey family.

He is mortified at the Peachey family chaos and begins his 3 step plan to bring back order, and resulting happiness to the household.



I loved this story! The cover gives it a young reader feel, but there is some complex language in this story, as we get to know the Peachey family members. Switching the adoption from human to dog, to dog to human is fun as we see McTavish’s viewpoint.

The way McTavish trains his humans is simple but clever, making this tale funny, thought provoking and immensely enjoyable.

In the rear of the book is advice on how to look after a dog, a recipe for readers to try out (you’ll have to read the story to know why), and a plea for all to consider adopting an animal from your local shelter.

A Dyslexic Read – Reading Age 8 – Interest Age 10-12 – 132 Pages

[Maura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free advanced copy of this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

This is a sweet and funny story about a dog and the family he “adopts.” The Peachey family is in chaos after Ma Peachey decides to resign from her duties as Mom and take up Yoga. She’s tired of cleaning, cooking and managing the schedules for her kids and husband without any appreciation for what she does. So, Ma sets up a spot in the corner of the house and practices her Yoga poses. Soon enough the house is a mess, there’s piles of dirty laundry and Pa Peachey and the three kids are eating microwave meals every night. The youngest Peachey Betty decides that what the family needs is a dog, so she takes them to the local shelter where they adopt McTavish. While the Peacheys think they are helping the dog find a home, really McTavish knows he’s there to fix his adopted family. He comes up with plans to get them back on track, doing their own laundry, cleaning up the house and even cooking for themselves so he can have peace and order. This is an enjoyable chapter book and I would recommend it to any elementary aged kid.

[J.L. Slipak · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY THOUGHTS:

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a great chapter book, for ages seven to ten. Lots of humor and fun, crazy antics and silliness galore. Fun illustrations accompany the story giving added enjoyment.

Good mothers everywhere do what they can, sometimes it seems like everything, for their families and their efforts, are often unappreciated. No thank yous or offers to help can make a mother feel like “Molly The Maid” instead of mom. When Ma Peachey reaches her breaking point, she goes on strike to show her family just how much she’s been doing for them and how much they’ve taken her for granted.

A dog is brought into the family, McTavish. This clever dog soon teaches the family how to do things for themselves, such as preparing meals, doing the wash. The children, in turn, realize just how much mom did for them and they begin to appreciate her more.

A very wise book to teach appreciation, independence and how to chip in with family chores so that everyone is contributing to the family, not just one.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was received as an ARC from Candlewick Press in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

What attracted me to this book originally was the name of the dog (McTavish). McTavish was the name of my nanny's dog that was a rescue but the dog was on the grumpy side and had many health problems so it was a refreshing treat that the dog in this story saved the family from chaos and the Peaches did not only rescue McTavish but McTavish rescued them. All thanks to the youngest daughter! I am also the youngest in my family and this concurs that the youngest child in certain areas can definitely be the wisest. This book gave me an opportunity to stroll down memory lane and that made it all enjoyable. I know that readers in some way will have that experience too.

We will consider adding this title to our JFiction collection in our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

McTavish is a rescue dog -- but in this book, it's the dog that rescues the family rather than the other way around. The Peachey family is anything but Peachey - Ma has resigned from being a mother, Pa is grumpy and irritable, and the kids definitely are not pulling their weight. The youngest, 9 year old Betsy, seems to suffer the most from everything being off kilter. She decides the family must have a dog to love - and so McTavish chooses to adopt them and begins to lay out his plans to set everything right again.
It's a quirky little book with a good bit of humor - but also some rather mature themes. Daughter Ava accuses Pa of being a sociopath and there is talk of Ma running off to India to find inner peace with a young, handsome yoga enthusiast. But all turns out well in the end.
Thank you to Candlewick Press for sending me an ARC to review!

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Ma Peachey quits being mother to the Peachey family, chaos reigns.
The three children Ava, Ollie and Betty, as well as Pa Peachey, have been taking her for granted for too long. No one in the family does anything, they do not pick up, or clean up or even get up on time.
When the family decides to get a dog, eight year old Betty, picks McTavish.
It soon becomes apparent to McTavish that something must be done to save this family and he feels, he is, the dog for the job.
Adopting and implementing plans AB and C, McTavish gets the job done, without the family suspecting that they are being trained by their dog.
Good story with a good message. A good read aloud and an equally good chapter book for elementary readers. The illustrations compliment the text. This is the first book in a series that is sure to be popular.
Read as an ARC from LibraryThing.

[Marina Kozloff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Насколько я не люблю young adults книги Мег Розофф, настолько же мне симпатична ее серия про пса Мактавиша. Довольно смешная, легкая, с актуальной фемповесткой.

«Мактавиш никогда бы не встретился с Перси, если бы мама не отказалась быть мамой.
- Сдаюсь, - заявила она. – Больше никакой готовки, уборки и поиска пропавших ключей. Больше я не слежу за вашим расписанием и не ворчу, чтов. Комнатах беспорядок. Не желаю заниматься скучной, неблагодарной работой. Довольно!»

Здесь я чувствую все таки небольшой перебор, можно же отказаться от кастрюль и носков, но продолжать быть мамой. Книжная же мама, совсем ушла в позу лотоса и по-моему, даже разговаривать со всеми перестала.
Но все остальное в книге чудесно, и Бетти, и конечно сам Мактавиш, и вообще история. Шрифт крупный, легко читать даже начинающим читателям.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a truly clever and laugh-out loud story just right for a bright reader easily handling chapter books.

The Peachey family is anything but! Ma is tired of doing all the work at home and being ignored while also doing her important accounting job and has quit. The household is falling apart while she practices her yoga and chaos reigns.

When Betty, the youngest and sensible member of the family, decides something must be done, she decides the Peacheys need a dog. At the shelter, one of the dogs takes one look and knows the Peacheys need him to adopt them. Clearly they've been badly trained but with a lot of love and careful training, they can be a great family so he takes them in paw.

Adorable!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Candlewick Press for the advanced copy! From England, first published in the U.S. this year, a fun illustrated chapter book for younger readers by Meg Rosoff. The Peachey family is in trouble. Mom has retired, yes, retired! She has tired of doing ALL the work and has begun to study yoga instead. And the father and three children are lost. The house is in shambles: clothes are not clean and sometimes not found, no one is cooking and frozen meals are their last resort. The youngest, Betty, decides that they need a dog. You might think that's not what they need, but sweet adopted dog McTavish saves the day with Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C. Readers will find some lessons about cooperation in the story, maybe even for the classroom, too.

[Christina Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is pitch perfect!
One day, Ma Peachey decides to quite her job as mum because she's tired of picking up after everyone and never getting any thanks. This leaves her husband and three children to fend for themselves...and they don't handle it well.
Ava spends her time reading philosophy, Ollie looking for a girlfriend and Pa Peachey seems to swing between losing his keys and being jealous of his wife's young, fit yoga instructor. The youngest child, a nine-year-old girl called Betty decides to take matters into her own hands and adopt a dog. Luckily, she meets McTavish, a very unusual dog who knows just what to do to whip his adoptive family into shape.
This is a witty, humorous story about family and it is sure to be a hit with any animal-loving readers aged 6+!