Dixie is a beloved pet dog who begins to limp when she is nine years of age. Tests show that Dixie has cancer in her front right leg and has to have it amputated. However, Dixie continues to be the same brave, loving and mischievous dog despite losing a leg. She saves a drowning puppy, defends the family home from her long-term enemy, the UPS delivery driver, and cleverly contrives to dupe a family friend into giving her cookie after cookie. This story shows how life can continue almost unchanged after a cancer diagnosis, or after incurring a disability. The fact that the cancer patient in this book is a dog may make the subject more comfortable to broach with a child who has had a cancer diagnosis, or a family member/friend who has had a diagnosis, as it allows the issues of illness and disability to be explored at a remove from a human story which may be more upsetting for some children. The illustrations are vibrantly coloured and arresting.
Audience: Child 4 - 8 years.