Children will love the colourful, heart-warming illustrations.
Hector, A Dog’s Story is a children’s story written by Renate Kaminska. Children will love the colourful, heart-warming illustrations. It is written in first person narrative. Hector is a handsome puppy who is born at the start of the Second World War. His life takes him in unexpected directions. His elderly owners and later, his Mom passed away. He experiences homelessness and hunger. Through the sadness and the hurdles he experiences, Hector presses on. He finds new opportunities and discovers joy and happiness again through the new animals and humans he meets. Hector’s adventures end in a very sweet way. The author intends to show that the ups and downs of an animal’s life aren't that different from human experiences. The story flows and the wording is easy to understand. The author’s explanations and thoughts offered via Hector will be helpful to encourage children to talk about difficult topics like the deaths of loved ones and differences in economic status etc. I feel that some very young children might find parts of the story too sad. For this reason, I would recommend it to slightly older children from about 8 years of age.