The loyalty and devotion of a dog has no bounds as Newman's novel is inspired by the true story of a faithful dog in Tokyo who met his master at the train station every day and continued to wait for him for ten years after his master's death. Illustrations. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Older readers who enjoyed Pamela S. Turner's picture book Hachiko: The True Story of a Loyal Dog, illus. by Yan Nascimbene (reviewed May 17) will want to delve into Newman's (Cats! Cats! Cats!) novel about a dog's devotion to his owner. Her many details about Tokyo and passages of dialogue give life and heft to the tale, while Kodaira's blocky pen-and-ink drawings add genuine Japanese touches street signs, clothing and interiors. In the opening chapters, the author gives readers a glimpse of the daily routine of Professor Ueno, who teaches at Tokyo Imperial University, and his beloved pet, Hachi the Akita (a husky-like breed). Every afternoon, the pooch waits for his master's 3:00 arrival at Tokyo's Shibuya train station. When the professor dies unexpectedly, Hachi continues to arrive at the station each day for his master's train, expecting him to return. Befriended and fed by a boy named Yasuo, the dog waits daily on the platform for his master until his own death 10 years later. The Station Master's words offer Yasuo consolation about Hachiko's reunion with his master ("There is a special train to bring those who have obtained Enlightenment up to Heaven. Every day for the past ten years, Professor Ueno has met this special train to see if his beloved Akita-ken is on it"). As these two versions attest, the story holds enduring fascination for animal lovers. Ages 8-up. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr 3-5 Newman adds characters and incidents to flesh out this true story of an Akita who became a national symbol for loyalty and hope by waiting for 10 years at a Japanese commuter train station for his dead master to return. Hachi accompanies Professor Ueno to Shibuya Station every morning, then returns at three o'clock to welcome him back. After his owner dies suddenly at work, the dog continues his afternoon vigil for the rest of his life, earning such notoriety that the honorific "ko" is attached to his name. After his death, a statue in his memory is erected near his accustomed spot on the platform. Newman gives Hachiko a young human friend, Yasuo, who over a span of years helps to provide the dog with food and water. He later proposes to his future wife under that statue. Kodaira's ink-and-wash illustrations feature a noble-looking pooch surrounded by human admirers. Although the dialogue tends to be stilted, this more-developed alternative to Pamela S. Turner's Hachiko: The True Story of a Loyal Dog (Houghton, 2004) will effectively draw readers. John Peters, New York Public Library Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr. 3-5. Hachi, an Akita pup, reveres his master and likes nothing more than accompanying Japanese professor Eizaburo Ueno to his morning train and then meeting him in the afternoon. One day the professor dies while at work, yet the faithful Hachi awaits his return at the station every day until his own death some 10 years later. Newman's fictionalized account of this true story adds a young boy, Yasuo, who befriends the dog and the professor and later cares for Hachi during his steadfast vigil at the Shibuya, Japan, train station. Yasuo brings a childhood focus to the poignant story and keeps it from becoming overly depressing, and Kodaira's soft, black-and-white sketches help to break up the chapters for younger readers and add interest to the story. Aimed at an older audience than Pamela S. Turner's picture book Hachiko: The True Story of a Loyal Dog [BKL Ap 15 04], this will be popular with dog lovers; consider having a packet of tissues on hand. KayWeisman. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.