Sheila BurnfordCritiques

Independent Reading Level: Grades 3-7
Awards: Canadian Children's Book of the Year (1961)

independent reading level: grade 3
awards:
1963 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award winner[3]
1963 Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award winner[4]
1963 American Library Association Aurianne Award winner[5]
1964 International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) honour[6]

Három állat – két kutya és egy macska – útnak indul a kanadai rengetegben. Háromszáz mérföldet tesznek meg ember nem járta erdőségeken, mocsarakon, megáradt folyón keresztül, vadállatok között, hogy szeretett gazdáikhoz hazatérjenek. Életveszélyes kalandokba keverednek, de leleményességük, bátorságuk és összetartozásuk átsegíti őket minden akadályon. Történetüket huszonegy nyelvre lefordították és Walt Disney filmet készített belőle.

A nice fiction adventure for young readers

Pacific Northwest Young Reader’s Choice Award Winner

William Allen White Award Winner

Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award Winner

Reading Age: 8-11 years

Grades: 4th
Awards: Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award and the American Library Association Aurianne Award in 1963

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I figure, like a lot of 90s kids, I saw the movie Homeward Bound somewhere in the vicinity of a million times. I hadn't realized it was based off of a book (or a remake of another movie, for that matter), and I wish I'd read the book as a child. At this point the movie is a little too ingrained, and I don't know how unbiased I can be. Where are the Don Ameche, Sally Field, and Michael J. Fox voiceovers?

I don't think I can truly consider this book on its own without looking at the differences from the movie. It's unfair, but here goes. There's certainly very little light-heartedness here. The plot gets pretty dark and somewhat gruesome at times. Probably more of an honest look at survival, I imagine. (Though I didn't think it was particularly fair that the trio can kill animals for food, as can the humans, but a lynx is "evil" if it tries to.)

I also had a hard time developing an attachment for the three main animals at first. There's no real rapport built before they take off on their journey, so their adventures start without being invested in their safety. I actually had some disdain for Bodger at first (here he's the old Bull Terrier), though that did vanish entirely by the end of the book. And I'm still fairly indifferent toward Luath (the young Labrador).

However, the cat (in this, a male Siamese named Tao) made up for every qualm I had. He was SUCH a badass and WAY better than the movie version. I have no idea how the prissy Sassy was spawned from Tao, but, for me, Tao stole the show. What a pleasant surprise.

Independent Reading Level: Grade 4
Awards Given: Aurianne Award (1963)

I’m revisiting some older loves, including childhood favourites, and remember devouring this book as a child. I freely admit I went through a phase of reading almost nothing but animal adventures, including this understandable classic. Although the references to using dogs as gun dogs were something I had to set aside then as much as now, the overall story of three animals overcoming adversity to reach home is one that touches many animal lovers, and remains unforgettable.

I have always loved classic children's literature and have read much of it. I especially love the classics that have animals in them. This particular book is one of my favorites and I think it is equally good when you it as an adult or as a child. The characters are engaging and realistic and the story draws you in. It is also equally good as an audiobook.

[The Incredible Journey] is a children's literature classic and childhood favorite of mine; first published in 1960, it became a bestseller with 11 printings through 1962, and a 20th printing by the time of my 1969 illustrated edition. I was pleased that I remembered key plot points after 30+ years.

This is the story of a young trained-hunter golden retriever leading his companions--an elderly English bulldog and consummate hunter indoor-outdoor Siamese cat--300 miles across northwestern Ontario back to their family home. Through a concatenation of coincidences, their departure from the pet-sitter's home isn't discovered until weeks later; the first two and last two chapters are from the pet-sitter's perspective, while the bulk of the story follows the animals on their journey and their encounters with assorted humans and animals. When I was a child, I loved realistic animal-centered fiction, including this, Kjelgaard's [Big Red] books, Walter Farley's horse books (especially when few people appeared, such as [The Black Stallion and Flame]), John L. George's [American Woodland Tales] series, and the like. This story stands the test of time.

"Genom otillgängliga vildmarker vandrar de tre djuren. De drivs av sin hemlängtan och ingenting får hindra dem.
Det är den unge vältränade labradoren Luath, den gamle stridslystne charmfulle bullterriern Bodger och den lilla siameskatten Tao som tillsammans trotsar utmattning, svält och skador för att nå sitt mål.
Människorna som djuren möter - indianer, pälsjägare och nybyggare i Kanada - spelar en underordnad roll. De är bara till för att hindra, ibland hjälpa, djuren på deras färd.
En ömsint djurskildring - ett sällsynt bevis på förståelse för hur djur känner, tänker och handlar."

Famous and curious Animal Stories. If you read only one animal book, this should be the one !! This is a masterclass selection. It should be one of the most popular books in the world. (edit)

No matter how old I get or how many times I revisit this story, it never gets old and I always cry. I adore this story.

Last night I felt like a comfort read, so I pulled this favorite off the shelves and took a trip back to my childhood.

This story of three pets heading home across the Canadian wilderness is an engaging tale for all ages. It works well as an adult read: I appreciated more of the descriptive passages that I'd not noticed with previous readings. Never boring or unbelievable, this story grabs the heart as well as any book I've read.

One of the last read alouds with my students. This book is a great book to show students about relationships, perseverance, and survival. The pets have their own relationships within each other, but their relationship with their owners is what drives them across the Canadian wilderness.

Digital audio book read by Megan Follows

Three beloved family pets – a young Labrador, an aged bull terrier, and a Siamese cat – head home across 300 miles of wooded and mostly uninhabited territory in Ontario, Canada.

This is a wonderful tale of adventure, friendship, loyalty, teamwork, and kindness. The animals face considerable danger, fight bravely, work together to survive, are fortunate to find a few kind people to help them along, are sometimes separated, but continue with a sense of purpose.

I saw the original Disney movie when I was a child and read the book at about that same time. I’m glad I revisited it now. The text copy is illustrated at the beginning of each chapter with drawings by Carl Burger.

Megan Follows does a fine job narrating the audiobook. She has clear diction and imbues the work with the drama and tenderness appropriate to various scenes. I especially liked her interpretation of the more dangerous episodes – the flood and the bear attack, for example. My one complaint about the audio is the cheesy dramatic music. It really irritated me, but I imagine it would add much to a child’s experience listening to the story.

This book is told through the perspective of three pets who have been separated from their owners. The three domesticated pets, two dogs and a cat, travel across Canada to join their owners who have moved. As readers continue through the story, the pets encounter a number of natural predators. The pets must work together and must use their natural instincts for survival. Because this story is told through the perspective of animals, it may not interest more mature 6th graders. This book is particularly appropriate for students in grade 4 or 5 who enjoy adventure and survival plot lines.

The story of how two dogs and a cat join forces to survive and manage to travel all the way to their masters. A good children's book that models loyalty, cooperation and perseverance.

I really liked this book, but its often patriarchal roles date it heavily.

I am glad I finally got to read this classic Canadian animal story. I was captivated by Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey as a child, and only recently found out that movie was a remake of The Incredible Journey from the 60s, which in turn was based on a book from the 60s. The animals are a little different but the overall story is the same. But the best thing about this book is the emotional vigour of the story, and they don't make the animals talk or read their minds, but you really know what they are thinking and feeling. It was a great story and I'm glad I got a chance to read it.

The nostalgia trip continues with one of my all-time favorite books.

Seriously, what's not to love about The Incredible Journey? It's a well written story about a pair of dogs and a cat who decide to find their way home after seizing an opportunity presented by the man looking after them while their owners are abroad. The characterizations of the three animals make you care about them as individuals, not just as cuddly pets, although there's that aspect as well, along with harrowing adventure as the three make their way westward and towards their home.

Touching and heartwarming, and just a fantastic story.

While Jim Hunter and his family are in England, John Longridge is taking care of Luath a young Labrador, Bodger an old Bull Terrier and Toa a Siamese cat. John goes on a trip with his brother and leave the three animals in the care of Mrs. Oakes. John leaves a note for Mrs. Oakes but part of the notes lands in the fireplace leaving Mrs. Oakes to think that John took the pets with him. The animals begin a 200 mile journey through the Canadian wilderness to reunite with the Hunter family. During their journey the animals face starvation, the coldness of the wilderness, encounter wild animals, become injured and separated. In the end all the animals are reunited with each other and with the Hunter family.

I can't believe this excellent book has been on my shelf unread for so long. Burnford's writing style is very pleasant to read while providing information and insight on a wide range of topics. It is somewhat dated in that it was published in 1973, and there have been big changes in the Arctic since then. However, I enjoyed the account of her stay in the "idyllic" community of Pond Inlet in the summers of the early 1970s when she accompanied artist Susan Ross, whose art is depicted on the endpapers. As a snapshot of those halcyon days Burnford's story makes very interesting and enjoyable reading. Highly recommended.