“Hello, you.” “No tags.” “No name.”

While building a sandcastle on the beach an unlikely visitor joins a young boy. A small puppy, with no collar, hops up on to the boy’s castle and just watches, the pup appears to be a stray.

This doesn’t faze the boy as he simply walks away. The young boy had already once had a dog, the best dog he could possibly have, his name was Oscar. Oscar had  already won the boy’s heart and still had it even though he had passed. The boy thought that no one else could ever take his old pal’, Oscar’s, place. The small puppy with “big black eyes,” is relentless and keeps finding his way back to the boy.

My Old Pal Oscar is a touching story about a boy learning how to open his heart up once again, after the loss of his first dog. Through the story the reader can see how much love an owner may have for their pet; and one may never replace the original, but someone can come along and patch up their heart. This read is recommended for a family read-a-loud with younger elementary school kids who loves dogs, or for anyone that has lost a pet.