In the midst of the funny, thoughtful, adventurous and magical books that stand tall on the shelves of the library, every now and then a thin volume slips in with the most important qualities of all, empathy and great heart. Meet the Dogs of Bedlam Farm is one of those special books. There are four dogs who have the run of the farm. They are Rose, Izzy, Frieda and Lenore. We meet them through photographs of the dogs in action. First, we meet Rose, a border collie who herds sheep on the farm. She is serious and the picture of her standing guard in the snow conveys the depth of her dedication and spirit. Izzy is a border collie who was abandoned and had to learn to feel safe again. Frieda, part rottweiler and part German shepherd, is big, scary and stands guard sometimes a bit too fiercely. The fourth dog is Lenore, a black lab. What is Lenore's job? Deep in the heart of every child is the need for affection and acceptance. Those children who like Izzy and Frieda know the world to be a scary, cold place have a special need to be seen, felt and loved. This book communicates the wonder of the spirit of dogs and the amazing perceptiveness they have that can heal the wounded and reach the emotionally crippled. This is a book for every child no matter what age. It is especially perfect for our wounded spirits. My guess is soldiers, airmen and sailors returning from the war would benefit from reading it, seeing the amazing photographs and experiencing the healing spirits of these unique souls.  32 pages   Ages  5-10  ISBN 978-0805092196