I just love Bailey and his way of thinking. He just wanted to play with the cat with the white strip. Too Funny

I really liked the in depth look of the life when the dog was Bailey. It was super funny the way a dog thinks of things like kissing as hugging, and how dogs can feel the different emotions of humans. Though I didn't think the stories lined up exactly, and the book finished far before the end of Bailey's life, it was still an amazing book.

Summer read aloud with my boys. We all loved it. Perfect adaptation of the adult novel.

Check out my review in VOYA!

Bailey, a golden retriever puppy, knows there is more to life than the cage in which he was born. His master brings his mother food, but won’t let them play in the grass and explore. One day, Bailey escapes and travels to find his purpose. He meets a variety of people (not all of them good) before he meets Ethan, who quickly becomes “his boy.” At first, Bailey believes his purpose to be to play with Ethan and make him happy, but as Ethan grows up, Bailey discovers that his true purpose is to protect his boy from the complex world around them.

It’s often said that dogs are man’s best friend, and this book proves it as you experience life as s dog through Bailey’s narration. Middle grade students who love animals will enjoy Bailey’s character. He is playful and innocent, not understanding the finer details of potty training, for example, but also loyal and caring. Readers will laugh at loud at his antics and feel tears in their eyes at the way Bailey worries about Ethan. The simple black-and-white illustrations capture the feeling of Bailey’s journey to discover his true purpose in life. At times the action moves a bit slowly, so an interest in animals is a must for any reader of this novel. Overall, a very heartwarming story!

I used this book for my tween book club. It was liked so much that reading another book from the series. Nice adaptation from the adult book. Bailey is enduring and you root for him and his boy Ethan.

Again, my kids were completely obsessed with this book. Bruce Cameron does such a great job of conveying the dog's point of view, it's mesmerizing, and - as they did for Ellie's story - my kids found great joy in guessing what Bailey was referring to when describing something the humans were doing. Genius!