The Riddle of Changewater Pond

Cooper, Margaret C.

ISBN 10: 0027244954 ISBN 13: 9780027244953

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 1993

Synopsis

While in eleven-year-old Kevin's care, Aunt Fiona's prize Irish setter is transformed into a human boy after a swim in a magical pond.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

Grade 3-6-Young Kevin Mason is left in charge of Tim, his aunt's Irish setter. When the two go exploring in the woods, they come across the seemingly harmless Changewater Pond. The dog dives into it and emerges as a boy about Kevin's age who speaks with an Irish accent. ("'Where's me beoo-tiful silky coat...and oh, what has become of me pride of a bushy tail?'") Much of the rest of the story involves the attempts to pass the animal off in the human world, despite the way he laps milk from his glass, roots through the garbage, etc. (Thankfully, the author avoids the subject of fire hydrants.) Eventually, Kevin and Tim figure out the secret of the pond and change Tim back into his original form. The novel ends with Kevin getting one of the puppies the dog sires about a year later. Despite the novel's attempts to be lighthearted and fun, it never really takes off. Most of the humor comes from Tim's Irish personality and accent and the way he views the world through a dog's eyes. There are a few funny scenes, but the story never goes beyond its one-joke premise. On the whole, this one isn't worth the plunge.
Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, IL
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Publication date: 1993
• ISBN 10: 0027244954
• ISBN 13: 9780027244953
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 124