Wondrous Rex

by Patricia MacLachlan, Emilia Dziubak (Illustrator)

A tale about the joy found in using words, sharing stories, and loving a wondrous dog: Rex.

Grace’s aunt is a writer. She works with words every day and teaches Grace interesting words like “melancholy” and “delirious.”

But Lily is often “flummoxed” by her writing. Her stories don’t go anywhere, her desk is a mess, and her writer’s group can’t help.

So Lily posts an ad for an assistant: A writer of books needs an assistant, a coach, a helper, for inspiration and some magic!

The next day, Grace opens the door, and there is Rex: a Labrador retriever who will change Grace’s life, and Lily’s. The word “amazing” is an everyday word for Rex, who inspires Lily, and helps Grace find the words to write her own story.

Genres: Middle Grade, Dogs, Childrens, Fantasy, Animals, Fiction, Friendship

88 pages, Hardcover

First published March 17, 2020

About the author

Patricia MacLachlan was born on the prairie, and always carried a small bag of prairie dirt with her wherever she went to remind her of what she knew first. She was the author of many well-loved novels and picture books, including Sarah, Plain and Tall, winner of the Newbery Medal; its sequels, Skylark and Caleb's Story; and Three Names, illustrated by Mike Wimmer. She lived in western Massachusetts.

Reviews

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Magic is an undertone to all of Patricia MacLachlan's stories, and Wondrous Rex just turns the volume up a notch or two. Seven-year-old Grace's next-door neighbor is her aunt Lily, a professional writer who lately feels uninspired. The magic of story isn't flowing the way she likes, so she posts a local notice to hire an assistant. As luck would have it, the first person to answer the ad is the perfect candidate...even if he isn't human. A brown, happy dog with an air of intelligence, Rex arrives with a magician named Maxwell. For years Rex has assisted Maxwell during his magic shows, but the time has come to part ways, so Maxwell donates him to Lily. Rex is magical, Maxwell tells her; she won't regret having him around.

Rex loves to play and eat treats, but knows when it's time to work. Every time he hops onto the chair in front of Lily's computer and paws at the keyboard, quotes pop up onscreen that remind Lily of her identity and purpose as a writer. Soon she's in a creative mood, ideas flowing like a backwoods stream. Surely it's not coincidence that writing started feeling good again just as Rex entered her life. Grace loves their new canine friend, but isn't sure he can help her become a writer. Her schoolteacher, Ms. Luce, believes Grace has storytelling talent, a belief shared by Grace's friend Daniel, but facing a blank page and filling it with the right words is daunting. Not even Rex can change that.

"If you're a writer, it's never over. You write and rewrite, and when you're finished you begin another story. An endless circle."

—Wondrous Rex, P. 54

As Lily re-embraces the joy of writing, Grace begins to understand the rewards of expressing oneself eloquently via the written word. A brilliant story concept isn't as important as rendering the magic happening around her: Aunt Lily finding her creative muse; Grace's parents not quite understanding what makes Rex special even as they're impressed by his tricks; Ms. Luce and Daniel's quiet confidence in Grace to write a story capable of touching the heart. Life changes; loved ones enter and exit, and magic doesn't stay forever, at least not in the same form. Grace is ready to roll with the changes, embracing each new opportunity to love her family, friends, and to exercise creativity in a wondrous world. The best is yet to come.

"Nothing stays the same forever...It changes in ways that only you will know."

—Lily, Wondrous Rex, P. 77

I adore the simple sweetness of Patricia MacLachlan's writing. She projects a serene sense of awe at the world that heartens me more than I can say. Wondrous Rex isn't perfectly cohesive, and Grace's voice doesn't seem like a real seven-year-old's, but the story has a poignant ending. Early on, Rex brings up a quote on Lily's computer that's worth noting for this review: "I write to find out what I think, what I feel, and what it means; what I want and what I fear." The quote is attributed to "P. M." in the story, a source you'll be able to identify without much pondering, though I'm not sure it's from one of her books. An online search turns up a nearly identical quote by Joan Didion. Wondrous Rex is far from the first Patricia MacLachlan book I'd recommend, but if you enjoy most of her work, I doubt you'll be disappointed here. Her words always soothe the soul.

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rex is indeed a wonder. He can help around the house, pull up inspiring quotes on the computer, and even type out a few thoughts for the humans to see. What he does best, though, is inspire the people around him. I especially loved the hugs he would give Grace in the night. There is also a chicken in the book. Would have loved to see what gifts and talents the magician (who also gave Rex to Aunt Lily) discovers in that chicken. This is a very short read and could easily be shelved as a chapter book, especially since Grace (our narrator) is just seven. She is quite a wise little girl for that age and adults will also appreciate the joys of getting to know the Wondrous Rex. So, this is a great one to read together.

Some wisdom Rex shares with Grace and her Aunt Lily: "If you find a book you really want to read but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." -- Toni Morrison

Thank you to Katherine Tegen Books and Edelweiss for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. Happy publishing day!

[Alice-Elizabeth (Prolific Reader Alice) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook via BookBeat UK!

I don't think I've smiled so hard before while listening to an audiobook. Wonderous Rex is a short read but lots of fun and the perfect distraction from high levels of anxiety that I am battling with at the moment. The main character is Grace and she is worried about her Aunt not finding any creative inspiration for her writing. So she places an advert in a local shop window. A mysterious man shows up with a dog called Rex who he claims is someone magical. Before long, Grace and her aunt realise that this dog really is something special. Kids will love this book! I adored Rex with his 'powers' which I won't reveal in this review since spoilers.

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was pointless. The character learns she can write a story . . . kind of . . . it's more of a poem . . . maybe. It goes nowhere. What can I say . . . there is literally nothing in this book. She gets a dog who can write, and keeps the secret from her parents.

What is this thing? I finished reading it, looked over at my wife and just shrugged like, is that it?

It didn't keep my kid's attention, didn't have interesting pictures, and was extremely dull.

Mercifully, it was short.

[Kyra Leseberg (Roots & Reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to follow

[Mikayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every once in a while I just need a chill, cute book, and Patricia Maclachlan books are always good for that. This was a bit more farfetched then her others, but I still enjoyed it.

[Kate Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet and simple. It made me think of my own magical dogs. 🤍

[Katrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

A cute, magically-realistic story. I might have liked it better is it was a little heavier on the realism. The seven-year-old writing was unrealistic and the “inspirational” quotes were cliche. I also never felt the narrator wanted to be a writer herself, despite all of the other characters telling her so.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this sweet and simple story. The main character is seven years old, and I believe Maclachlan wrote the story so that seven year olds could read it on their own. This is one of those stories with a bit of magical realism in the plot. Grace's aunt Lily, a writer, lives next door, and Grace stays with her quite often as her own parents are pediatricians, called away at all hours of the day and night. When Lily experiences writer's block, she advertises for an assistant. A magician shows up at her door with his dog Rex, and tells Lily that Rex will be her assistant. Rex cannot talk, but he can sit at a computer and type out quotations from famous authors. His presence inspires Lily to write, and also inspires Grace, who thought of herself as "not a writer," to start writing as well. A gentle and gently humorous story, with pleasing black and white illustrations scattered throughout.

[Nikky3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that I needed in a time when I needed it.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short chapter book for grades 2-4 is absolutely delightful. I found main characters Grace, Lily and Rex to be warm and genuine and like MacLachlan’s Waiting For Magic, I believe in the magic of a dog who can write, read and inspire both young Grace and her aunt to use their words in wonderful ways. I hope this title finds its way into the hands and hearts of many. Highly recommended. Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing me with this digital ARC.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

First sentence: I am seven years old, and my life is soon to be full of "wondrous" happenings. "Wondrous" is a word I learned from my aunt Lily, a writer of books. Lily lives next door to me, and I go there after school while my mother and father are at work.

Premise/plot: Grace, our young heroine, is encouraged to write her own stories--as is Lily--when Rex, a Labrador retriever, comes into their lives. A magical dog changes everything--for they can hear him talk and he always knows the exact right thing to say.

My thoughts: I liked this one okay. Rex is never once in danger, which is a good thing for a book with a dog on the cover. The story was pleasant enough throughout. There wasn't any conflict. Which I don't mind horribly. Sometimes you just want a nice, safe, cozy book starring a lovable dog. But the tension remained low--will Grace, our seven year old heroine--start writing stories? The answer is predictable--yes, of course. But in reality there isn't really a wrong answer. Lily can do what Lily wants and seven is a little young to make that decision truly a life-altering one.

[Debbie Gascoyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Patricia MacLachlan and hadn't realized she'd written so many books about dogs! This one is charming: very short and very sweet. Really, it left me wanting more, which I suppose is a good thing - I'm not sure if this is being marketed as middle-grade or chap-book, but it does feel rather slight for middle-grade. One slight criticism is that the 7-year old narrator seemed rather more articulate than one would expect for her age; on the other hand, that's partly the point.

I received an ARC of this book via Edelweiss+

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute! Budding second and third grade writers will appreciate this tender story about a magical dog named Rex and a seven year old girl who just needs something to write about...

[CJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love Patricia MacLachlan's writing. Her prose is so simple yet so evocative, I enjoy it as much as an adult as I did when I was a child. Highly recommend!

[Trista · Rating 5 out of 5]

We listened to this on audiobook in the car. It was cute and short. I would normally rate it 3 stars, but my kids gave it 5 stars and since they are the target demographic I'm going by their rating.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun children's book about a magical dog.

[Marianne Robin-Tani · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short but sweet tale about how an intelligent dog helped a girl and her aunt discover and develop their hidden writing talents.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn’t my favorite book by this author. The quotes the dog found were kind of trite, and I felt like the book was trying to show growth in the main character becoming a writer but it didn’t feel exactly like something she chose, but more something others around her were saying. The end was also vaguely dissatisfying. I don’t think my kids will like this one, so I’ll pick something else.

[Wren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like many others, I like the idea of being a writer - but am unwilling to put in any of the required effort and practice. Add to that, I love dogs. So on paper the premise of an intelligent dog who replies to an ad for a writing assistant sounds pretty magical. But I was expecting the story to be more fun.

It would be hard to feel disappointed by a dog who turns up at your house to be your personal muse, but there was nothing doglike about Rex. If you'd said they were inspired by a statue, or their neighbour, or downloaded an app that dispensed inspirational quotes, I can't imagine much difference - because that is all Rex does. When called upon for inspiration on a second occasion, he can't even spring for a second quote, he just repeats the first one.

Why couldn't Rex have led them on an adventure that inspired their writing? Or perhaps instead of leaving them his typing dog the magician could have turned the girl and her aunt into dogs to experience a different viewpoint. Something fun!

The other thing that bothered me was the aunt's writing group. The characters appear to be trying to encourage Grace's writing, yet right up until the end the writing group made Grace sit in the other room during meetings. There was room there for a nice message about including her and making her feel valued.

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really didn't see the point of this book and found it disappointing. Based on others reviews of the book you either love it or think it is flat. For me it almost seemed it was written for an adult reader and yet it was simple and reading level is for 2-3 graders. The book is about a 7 year old girl Grace who wants to be a writer and this magical dog Rex becomes a part of her life and the life of her Aunt Lily ( a writer and nanny for Grace). It just doesn't really go anywhere even though Grace eventually writes a story. Mostly I just kept waiting for something to happen or a plot to evolve. And nothing. It ends. I won't be pushing this one into patron's hands.

[Askari Mohammad · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm an elementary school librarian, and I have a difficult time calling this a "story," as it's more a series of events that just happen, without rhyme or reason. Worse, you'll find yourself wondering, "Why?" at just about every action that a character takes.

Where's the story structure: rising action, climax, falling action? It's like someone woke up one day and told themselves, "I want to write about an extraordinary dog that inspires people"... and then that's it. No emotion. No substance.

[Maura · Rating 2 out of 5]

My 7 year old son loves dogs & books about dogs. I love books about writing. We thought we'd love this book together. And it was...sweet. And also...? Question mark. I was sort of waiting for the book to happen, and when my son said, "Is that it?" at the end, I thought to myself, "That's a pretty good review in three words."

We sort of liked it. But we also were left thinking, "Is that it?"

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly... this had such a cute cover and it’s thinness was appealing for our second graders. (And it’s an author we all know and love!) But something was missing for me. Very confused about this one.
2.5 stars

[LS Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m super confused by this book. Was this a “magical” book about a “magical” dog? Or was there some kind of symbolism I missed? Was there a reason both parents were doctors and never home at the same time? I’m kind of at a loss about this one.

[Lynda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this is a great book for first readers of chapter books. It was much to basic for me!
I picked it out because of the author and I did enjoy the storyline because of the dog - and the magic, but I liked the author's "Sarah, Plain and Tall" much better.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted this book to be novel-length because it felt incomplete and lacked that anticipatory story arc that readers expect. The characters were lovely though... they just needed more time/pages to develop.

[ElleTi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dovrebbe essere un tenero racconto sul potere della scrittura e la magia che ci sta dietro ma… a parer mio risulta un libro stucchevole è un po’ insensato.

Credo che la magia che l’autrice vuol far scaturire da Rex (un cane in grado di capire gli umani e scrivere i propri pensieri al computer per comunicare con chi gli sta simpatico) parta già a marce ridotte: di cani “intelligenti” è piena la letteratura (e anche il mondo) e non sempre la spiegazione è la magia, anzi. In questo libro invece viene ripetuto quasi ossessivamente che Rex è un cane magico, punto. L’unico adulto che fa ulteriori considerazioni è il padre della protagonista, che però non c’è quasi mai e quindi lascia i suoi pensieri off screen.

Inoltre, alcuni particolari della vita di Grace, la protagonista di sette anni, risultano un po’ bizzarri, almeno a un lettore italiano. Grace viene lasciata sola a casa mentre la zia scrittrice con cui vive va a fare la spesa; per carità, magari il negozio è lì vicino (non ci viene detto), tuttavia la naturalezza con cui la zia la lascia lì (“Devo comprare cibo e snack […] vuoi venire con me?”) sembra più adeguata a una ragazzina piuttosto che a una bambina di sette anni.
Il fatto poi che Grace, lasciata sola col permesso di usare il pc della zia, sia in grado di aprire Word, scrivere un testo e stamparlo, per me ha dell’incredibile, specie se penso alla “velocità” con cui i ragazzini di dieci anni utilizzano una tastiera qwerty per digitare solo poche parole.

Se la vita di Grace e zia Lily avesse avuto qualche difficoltà o qualche problema, questo avrebbe creato più contrasto con la magia salvifica di Rex e della scrittura. Invece le due vivono in armonia, con l’unico intoppo creato dalla mancanza di ispirazione di Lily (“magicamente” risolta nel giro di poche pagine, grazie a qualche famosa citazione motivazionale trovata da Rex).
Tutto troppo sottotono per lasciare al lettore qualcosa di significativo.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

For children 7-8 who are budding writers.

This story is about a seven-year-old girl (but I think she acts more like nine at least) who learns that she is a writer with the help of a magical dog named Rex. It is a very happy
story. There aren’t really any problems... it’s all just magic and good things continually happening.

Because of that I would not say this book is compelling— it gave me the same feeling I had after reading “The Littlest Voyager.” A feeling of contentment and “Oh, that was a sweet, cute book” but not much else than that.

So if you’re looking for a feel-good book for your seven or eight-year-old, this might be a good pick. It is definitely in more of the intermediate book range with short sentences, big text, pictures, and a sweet, simple story.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very easy J fic book featuring an 8 year old girl who's been given a writing assignment. Her Aunt Lily is a struggling writer who has a close relationship with Grace. A mysterious man shows up on Lily's doorstep with a loveable dog named Rex. He ends up being the inspiration for their writing. This was a sweet story and because it's so short it would appeal to beginning readers wanting to read a chapter book on their own. However, I found the dialog a bit underwhelming. Kids who've been given writing assignments for the first time might find it something they can relate to.