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The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy
For Christmas, Petey, the puppy, wants a boy of his own more than anything. But boys are in short supply this year and his mother tells him he'll have to find his own. Tired and discouraged, Petey's almost ready to give up searching, when his wish comes true in a wonderful way! First published in 1958, this beloved classic features updated text and new illustration.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1958
11 people are currently reading
628 people want to read
About the author
Jane Thayer
78 books15 followersJane Thayer (pen name of: Catherine Woolley) was an American writer. She is known best for the book The Puppy Who Wanted A Boy, which became the basis of a 1980s Saturday Morning cartoon series, The Puppy's Further Adventures.
Obituary from: Boston Globe, July 27, 2005
http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articl...
With the 87 children's books she wrote, Catherine Woolley delighted generations of young readers around the world with stories of children, animals, a friendly ghost, and mysterious happenings.
She was so prolific that her publisher told her to use a nom de plume for some books. She chose Jane Thayer, her grandmother's name, for the many picture books she wrote.
For her older readers, she used her real name on books such as the ''Ginnie and Geneva" series about the adventures of two young girls. Many of the books were translated into foreign languages.
Ms. Woolley died Saturday in her Truro home. She was 100 and had been in failing health in recent years.
Until then, said her niece Betsy Drinkwater of Enfield, N.H., Ms. Woolley was a lover of books and a ''lifelong Democrat."
''After her 100th birthday last summer, her goal was to live long enough to vote in the 2004 election, and she did," Drinkwater said.
''She was a character," Drinkwater said. ''She never married, was very independent, and traveled all over the world. ''
A petite woman with blue eyes and curly hair, Ms. Woolley was also feisty, said a Truro neighbor, Peggy Longgood. ''She was clear in what she believed in and thought, and she would not back down on anything. She was indomitable."
Ms. Woolley continued to write into her 80s and 90s, Drinkwater said. Her last published work was 1989's ''Writing for Children," in which she advised adults how to write children's books. It wasn't easy, she warned.
Though Ms. Woolley never had children, she seemed to have a kinship with them, friends said. In her books, she often drew on her own experiences and world travels. She always urged students at the writers' workshops she taught on Cape Cod to write what they knew. In ''Writing for Children," she writes: ''There is a delight in working with words, because if you are a writer you love the magic of words and you love using words to bring children into the world you are creating."
Ms. Woolley was born in Chicago to Edward Mott and Anna Lazelle (Thayer) Woolley. She grew up in Passaic, N.J. Her father was a newspaperman in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Ms. Woolley attended both Barnard College in New York and the University of California at Los Angeles, earning her bachelor's degree from UCLA in 1927.
Ms. Woolley's niece said that after college, she worked in public relations in New York and eventually moved back with her parents in Passaic in the 1930s during the Great Depression. She lived in Passaic until she was 60.
Drinkwater believes that Ms. Woolley wrote for magazines before her first book, ''I Like Trains," was published in 1944.
In the early 1960s, she moved into a house she had bought in Truro, pounding out books on an old Remington typewriter. She never used a computer.
Among her many books were ''The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy," about a dog who was looking for a master and found more than one at an orphanage, and a series about ''Gus the Ghost," a friendly apparition.
On Cape Cod, Ms. Woolley was a fixture at writing and book events. She helped start a book club, worked with the Friends of the Truro Library, taught at writing workshops, and held story hours at the library.
When the library opened its new building in 1996, it named its children's room after her.
''Catherine's writing and literary life was paramount to her," said Anne Brock of North Truro, a former library trustee.
One of Ms. Woolley's students was Yoko Kawashima Watkins of Brewster, with whom she worked for a year on a manuscript for Watkins's suc
Obituary from: Boston Globe, July 27, 2005
http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articl...
With the 87 children's books she wrote, Catherine Woolley delighted generations of young readers around the world with stories of children, animals, a friendly ghost, and mysterious happenings.
She was so prolific that her publisher told her to use a nom de plume for some books. She chose Jane Thayer, her grandmother's name, for the many picture books she wrote.
For her older readers, she used her real name on books such as the ''Ginnie and Geneva" series about the adventures of two young girls. Many of the books were translated into foreign languages.
Ms. Woolley died Saturday in her Truro home. She was 100 and had been in failing health in recent years.
Until then, said her niece Betsy Drinkwater of Enfield, N.H., Ms. Woolley was a lover of books and a ''lifelong Democrat."
''After her 100th birthday last summer, her goal was to live long enough to vote in the 2004 election, and she did," Drinkwater said.
''She was a character," Drinkwater said. ''She never married, was very independent, and traveled all over the world. ''
A petite woman with blue eyes and curly hair, Ms. Woolley was also feisty, said a Truro neighbor, Peggy Longgood. ''She was clear in what she believed in and thought, and she would not back down on anything. She was indomitable."
Ms. Woolley continued to write into her 80s and 90s, Drinkwater said. Her last published work was 1989's ''Writing for Children," in which she advised adults how to write children's books. It wasn't easy, she warned.
Though Ms. Woolley never had children, she seemed to have a kinship with them, friends said. In her books, she often drew on her own experiences and world travels. She always urged students at the writers' workshops she taught on Cape Cod to write what they knew. In ''Writing for Children," she writes: ''There is a delight in working with words, because if you are a writer you love the magic of words and you love using words to bring children into the world you are creating."
Ms. Woolley was born in Chicago to Edward Mott and Anna Lazelle (Thayer) Woolley. She grew up in Passaic, N.J. Her father was a newspaperman in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Ms. Woolley attended both Barnard College in New York and the University of California at Los Angeles, earning her bachelor's degree from UCLA in 1927.
Ms. Woolley's niece said that after college, she worked in public relations in New York and eventually moved back with her parents in Passaic in the 1930s during the Great Depression. She lived in Passaic until she was 60.
Drinkwater believes that Ms. Woolley wrote for magazines before her first book, ''I Like Trains," was published in 1944.
In the early 1960s, she moved into a house she had bought in Truro, pounding out books on an old Remington typewriter. She never used a computer.
Among her many books were ''The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy," about a dog who was looking for a master and found more than one at an orphanage, and a series about ''Gus the Ghost," a friendly apparition.
On Cape Cod, Ms. Woolley was a fixture at writing and book events. She helped start a book club, worked with the Friends of the Truro Library, taught at writing workshops, and held story hours at the library.
When the library opened its new building in 1996, it named its children's room after her.
''Catherine's writing and literary life was paramount to her," said Anne Brock of North Truro, a former library trustee.
One of Ms. Woolley's students was Yoko Kawashima Watkins of Brewster, with whom she worked for a year on a manuscript for Watkins's suc
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
December 29, 2021
A charming story with the best possible ending for the sweet, lonesome pup who just wanted a boy!
December 16, 2022
Look at that sweet little puppy on the cover. I simply can't imagine reading this story about Petey the puppy without a huge smile on my face. All Petey wants for Christmas is a boy of his own. His mother tries to find one, but there seems to be a boy shortage. Perhaps Petey can talk another dog into giving up a boy? Nope! When Petey keeps on looking he finds the best solution of all. So heartwarming and a beautiful ending.
May 1, 2018
Probably the sweetest puppy-needs-a-home story on the entire planet.
May 6, 2024
Was someone cutting onions?
Thanks frix family for the Rec!
Thanks frix family for the Rec!
May 10, 2017
This was my absolute favorite book as a child. For a young children's book, there is definitely some raw emotion packed into this little gem. Being such a big animal lover my whole life, especially dogs, this one stole my heart!
September 12, 2022
Wish my puppy wanted a boy and didn’t hate me.
July 12, 2016
One of my favorite childhood books <3
January 9, 2024
Read this to my nephew and we really liked it
March 25, 2011
The moral of this book is to never give up, be polite (even if other aren't back), have courage, learn from experiences, and be persistent in seeking until you get what you want. The little puppy wanted a boy. His mother told him that it was too hard to find one and suggested other animals to him. The puppy Knew what he wanted and decided to search on his own. He had courage to ask other dogs politely if they would give their boy to him. Although all the dogs he asked did not answer him politely back, he learned from each experience (keep his distance for example). In the end, the tired and persistent puppy finds a boy and a home full of boys!
July 5, 2017
Okay I know that I am not a boy but if this puppy wanted to adopt me I would be more than willing. We could go on walks, play ball, cuddle and everything else that you can imagine for such a cute scruffy face like this one.
The story is truly a heart-twister. It will have you up and down the emotional roller coaster while keeping this pup to keep looking for his forever home. And then for the home's director to be nice enough to allow him in that just ends the cake.
Truly a timeless classic and a great Christmas story as well!
The story is truly a heart-twister. It will have you up and down the emotional roller coaster while keeping this pup to keep looking for his forever home. And then for the home's director to be nice enough to allow him in that just ends the cake.
Truly a timeless classic and a great Christmas story as well!
April 16, 2009
I read this around Christmas time last year so I can't remember it all that well. I remember the premise of the story which was pretty darn cute. I do remember it being a little too long for a bedtime story though. This may have only been my daughters age though so I'm not sure. I think I'd recommend it for older toddlers based on my memory of the length.
It's definitely a cute story though!
It's definitely a cute story though!
April 27, 2011
This is a cute story, but naturally the library sent me the wrong edition. I'm guessing they discarded the one I requested, from 1958:
March 6, 2012
This was one of my favorite stories as a child. As an adult, I still deeply enjoyed reading it with my younger brothers. A great story of a dog in search of someone to call his own. It shows how pets need us and choose us much like we need and choose them.
February 6, 2024
I stumbled on my old copy while unpacking a few moving boxes and was delighted to revisit this classic. Can you believe it was published in 1958!?
The artwork is fantastic throughout, including the meanest collie face of all time. I'm pretty sure the illustrator (Lisa McCue) was still learning what a bulldog looked like at the time, but she gave a valiant effort.
Jane Thayer's narrative is an emotional roller coaster, with a resolution as satisfying as you'll find anywhere. No stone was left unturned, no thread left unraveled. A picture perfect Christmas story from start to finish.
The artwork is fantastic throughout, including the meanest collie face of all time. I'm pretty sure the illustrator (Lisa McCue) was still learning what a bulldog looked like at the time, but she gave a valiant effort.
Jane Thayer's narrative is an emotional roller coaster, with a resolution as satisfying as you'll find anywhere. No stone was left unturned, no thread left unraveled. A picture perfect Christmas story from start to finish.
February 22, 2025
Jackson’s a fan of the growling bulldog!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2020
This book was my sister’s favorite for a long time as a little girl, and we still have that original copy. The story is about a little puppy who desperately wants a boy for Christmas, and sets off to find one for himself. He encounters a few different dogs and their boys, asking if he could please have their boy. After being refused by all, the puppy is disappointed and thinks he will never find a boy-but just then he comes across a Christmas miracle, an entire home of boys who will have him.
This book is a bit dated now, and probably a bit too sensitive for a group read with the ending discovery of a “home for boys” being used as a tool to get the puppy his wish.
This book is a bit dated now, and probably a bit too sensitive for a group read with the ending discovery of a “home for boys” being used as a tool to get the puppy his wish.
December 19, 2019
If you a looking for a sweet Christmas story for your kids, "The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy" by Catherine Woolley is a great option. The premise is both familiar and different - Christmas is coming and there's only one gift that will satisfy! But here it is a puppy (Petey) who wants a boy instead of a boy who wants a puppy. Not finding a boy available, Petey's mother encourages him to ask other dogs if they would be willing to give him their boys? The journey that follows leads Petey to encounter a variety of dogs and their boys, each with their own unique relationship and bond. The concluding solution - Petey finds an orphanage filled with boys that relish the chance to shower him with affection - is a fitting celebration of how the love between humans and animals can be deeply healing and fulfilling. It can also present a nice segue for parents to talk with children about weightier topics like what an orphanage is, if they so desire.
If I have one critique, it is only that the repetition in Petey's journey can become a bit tiring by the end. One less dog encounter would have been better. But still, this is a wonderful book to add to your children's book collection. It is a bit on the longer side, so it is better suited to older children, but even my wiggly toddlers enjoy the story too (when they are listening to it...).
If I have one critique, it is only that the repetition in Petey's journey can become a bit tiring by the end. One less dog encounter would have been better. But still, this is a wonderful book to add to your children's book collection. It is a bit on the longer side, so it is better suited to older children, but even my wiggly toddlers enjoy the story too (when they are listening to it...).
October 18, 2018
I read this book when I was a little girl, and I adore it as a grown up. I shared it with one of my students today. It is the sweet story of a puppy who longs to have a boy for Christmas. When his mom is unable to find one for him, she suggests that perhaps he might find a dog who would give up his boy. The puppy sets out to ask some other dogs if they will give up their boys. He feels discouraged when none of them will, but he might just find a boy in an unexpected place. I cannot over reccomend this heart warming tale of a dog who wants to give love. It's great for parents and children, beginning readers, a classroom library, or even grown folk who want their hearts warmed.
March 10, 2018
Summary:
It was the night before Christmas and a young puppy named Petey really wanted a boy to belong to. His mom who was a dog tried searching for a boy but could not find one. So, she suggested to go out and ask another dog if they would give away their boy. Eventually, Petey found a “home for boys,” and a little boy sitting outside. Then he got to go inside and ended up getting fifty boys for Christmas!
Possible Topics:
1. Puppies love boys just like the boys love puppies.
2. The more the merrier, more boys=more love!
3. If you really want something, make it happen!
It was the night before Christmas and a young puppy named Petey really wanted a boy to belong to. His mom who was a dog tried searching for a boy but could not find one. So, she suggested to go out and ask another dog if they would give away their boy. Eventually, Petey found a “home for boys,” and a little boy sitting outside. Then he got to go inside and ended up getting fifty boys for Christmas!
Possible Topics:
1. Puppies love boys just like the boys love puppies.
2. The more the merrier, more boys=more love!
3. If you really want something, make it happen!
January 7, 2020
"One day Petey, who was a puppy, said to his mother, who was a dog, 'I'd like a boy for Christmas.' His mother, who was a dog, said she thought he could have a boy if he was a very good puppy."
3.5 stars
Cute story about a puppy trying to find a boy, who are in short supply. Super cute illustrations; I think kids would find the reversal funny. The story starts out great, and the end is sweet and reminds me of older picture books. The middle is just okay. Overall, cute Christmas picture book. 4+
3.5 stars
Cute story about a puppy trying to find a boy, who are in short supply. Super cute illustrations; I think kids would find the reversal funny. The story starts out great, and the end is sweet and reminds me of older picture books. The middle is just okay. Overall, cute Christmas picture book. 4+
December 23, 2018
It broke my heart to read this poor puppy's trials. He was so polite to a bunch of other dogs and got yelled at, growled at, and otherwise harshly rebuffed. In the end he finds 50 boys in an orphanage (yay? Do we look past the sadness of 50 orphans?) but it's not clear if the puppy ever sees its mom again. Too much subtle sadness for such a cute puppy.
Drawings look great though, and the rhythm works.
Drawings look great though, and the rhythm works.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2020
Have a kid who is in want of a pet? Maybe they need to read this book, which features a puppy in search of a boy! The illustrations of different breeds were fun, where the puppy ultimately finds his boy (The Home for Boys!) was amusing, and the Christmas miracle that he ultimately gets 50 boys was just a little too much for my cold, dead heart to handle. Read aloud to Rain as part of a task for the library's adult summer reading program.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2017
The text is copyright 1958. The illustrations are from 1985. This is a Weekly Reader book.
A nice story about a puppy who wants a boy for Christmas. Being an enterprising young dog, he decides to find his boy on his own. This book shows it's age near the end, when the puppy ends up at an orphanage.
A nice story about a puppy who wants a boy for Christmas. Being an enterprising young dog, he decides to find his boy on his own. This book shows it's age near the end, when the puppy ends up at an orphanage.
November 14, 2017
Petey, the puppy, only wanted one thing for Christmas, a boy. His mother told him that if he was good enough, he could have a boy. Petey went on a hunt to find a boy, but could not find the perfect one. Eventually Petey stumbled upon a home for boys and found fifty boys who took him in.
February 2, 2018
Love this book! No boys anywhere, that is all puppy wants for Christmas. He goes off to find one on his own. Asks other dogs if they want to give up their boy, but no one does. Then he finds a Boy's home. Now he has 50 boys!
November 1, 2018
This is an amazing story about a puppy that just wants a boy for Christmas. After struggling to find one, he found a Home For Boys shelter and is greeted very well by a little boy he shows him so much love. This book is heart warming and fantastic.
October 29, 2019
a very cute sweet story. so touching so full of love i used to tear up and i still would my sister had this when we were younger and i need to maybe this christmas get a copy for my nephew. i am a sucker for dog stories fiction children or regular fiction.
June 10, 2020
This is a good twist on a traditional Christmas theme. Students K-3 can use this as a mentor text for predicting as they guess what might happen next. This would also work well in a Christmas text set.it is a guided reading level L.
August 9, 2017
This has been my son's favorite book since early childhood. He's 26 and still occasionally brings it up. Worth reading over and over.
September 12, 2017
Although we aren't supposed to use this word, the story is very cute. The puppy just wants a boy to have him! The pictures are endearing as well.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews