This book is the autobiography of a dog called Joe, he was rescued by a young boy ( an evil man cut his ears off right to the scalp, and cut his tail off in a fit of rage )and is brought to live with a family where he very much becomes Miss Laura's dog.
While he has many adventures including saving a family from a bad robber who is planning to burn down the house, the main purpose of the book is how one ought to be kind to animals .
The book is rather old...I am not sure when it was originally published and the people often talk of poor dumb animals but I do not think it was meant to mean foolish or stupid it simply means that when cruelty befalls an animal they are unable to speak of it.
Part of this books goes into whether animals go to heaven or not and it goes into things that are not at all Biblical and it clearly states them as legends...Such as when Adam was thrown out of Eden the only animal that would be his friend was a dog. If a young kid reads it you might want to make sure they know what is not biblical.
" Boys and Girls , be kind to dumb animals, not only because you will loose nothing by it, but because you ought to; for they were placed on the earth by the same kind Hand that made all living creatures." - Beautiful Joe
If you are fond of.... The Five Little Pepper books , Martha Finley, Black Beauty or Hesba Stretton you will much enjoy Beautiful Joe.
A wonderful book !
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