Books for children who love animals
From ANIMAL PEOPLE, October 1993:
A Place for Grace, by Jean Davies Okimoto, illustrated by Doug
Keith. Sasquatch Books (1931 2nd Ave., Seattle, WA 98101), 1993, 36 pages,
hardcover $14.95.
The amazing Grace of this story is a small stray dog on the streets of San
Francisco, who aspires to become a guide dog, fails the height requirement, and becomes a
hearing dog instead with the aid of Charlie, an astute human. Children, who are always
finding themselves too small to do things, will readily identify with Grace and will love
Doug Keith’s gently funny illustrations. But A Place for Grace isn’t just a good dog story.
It’s also a quick introduction to the duties, requirements, and training of hearing dogs, who
usually are clever mongrels, and, somewhat as an afterthought, to the world of the deaf.
If A Place for Grace has a fault, it’s that it presumes too much prior knowledge of deaf cul-
ture on the part of the very young readers. “Signing” pops up with no explanation of what it
is, although the sign alphabet appears on the cover liner, and there is relatively little discus-
sion of the difficulties of functioning in mechanized society without hearing. Fortunately,
many children will infer the essentials from the art. A must for school libraries!