When Jake and Pa find a gold nugget big enough to buy a pet, there aren’t any dogs to be found. And so Jake gets a . . . pig (“four legs, floppy ears, and a tail”), and he names him Dog.

Lucky for Pa and Jake, Dog has a nose for finding good fortune. And where luck grows like a cornstalk—tall and golden and strong—Dog and Jake are sure to be found, ready for whatever comes next.

"Addy's (When Wishes Were Horses) Gold Rush tale opens as Jake's Pa, panning in a creek with his son, finds a gold nugget. They hurry to town to buy supplies and Jake, longing for a dog, asks the storekeep if he has any to sell; he doesn't, but he does have "a runty pig." (When Jake asks if pigs make good pets, the clerk responds, "Why not? They got four legs, floppy ears, and a tail.") Naming his new pet Dog, Jake remarks that he is glad the man had a pig to sell and Pa answers, "That sure was lucky." Jake heartily agrees: "Yup. Lucky." The two repeat these refrains as their lucky streak continues. Jake plants some seed corn and it grows despite the fact that Pa hadn't thought it would in their soil. Next, father and son capture a nanny goat that produces milk and they cook corn fritters. The tempting smell attracts other prospectors eager to barter for food, and soon Pa and Jake are running a booming restaurant and goods-trading business. As the two gratefully acknowledge their ongoing good fortune, perceptive readers will recognize their providence has quite a bit to do with gumption, ingenuity and a sense of fairness — and, yup, luck too. Zahares's (Window Music) contemporary, stylized pastel art features electric hues and playful perspectives, lending a bold contrast to the old-time tenor of the easygoing narrative and creating an unlikely, but lucky, pairing. Ages 4-8." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"'Addy's (When Wishes Were Horses) Gold Rush tale opens as Jake's Pa, panning in a creek with his son, finds a gold nugget. They hurry to town to buy supplies and Jake, longing for a dog, asks the storekeep if he has any to sell; he doesn't, but he does have 'a runty pig.' (When Jake asks if pigs make good pets, the clerk responds, 'Why not? They got four legs, floppy ears, and a tail.') Naming his new pet Dog, Jake remarks that he is glad the man had a pig to sell and Pa answers, 'That sure was lucky.' Jake heartily agrees: 'Yup. Lucky.' The two repeat these refrains as their lucky streak continues. Jake plants some seed corn and it grows despite the fact that Pa hadn't thought it would in their soil. Next, father and son capture a nanny goat that produces milk and they cook corn fritters. The tempting smell attracts other prospectors eager to barter for food, and soon Pa and Jake are running a booming restaurant and goods-trading business. As the two gratefully acknowledge their ongoing good fortune, perceptive readers will recognize their providence has quite a bit to do with gumption, ingenuity and a sense of fairness — and, yup, luck too. Zahares's (Window Music) contemporary, stylized pastel art features electric hues and playful perspectives, lending a bold contrast to the old-time tenor of the easygoing narrative and creating an unlikely, but lucky, pairing. Ages 4-8.' Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

This solid story is taken to a whole new level by Zahares's amazing artwork. Using pastels in deep and heavy hues, solid shapes, and unusual perspectives, he provides images that roll breathtakingly across the pages. . . . Some of the scenes show the hard work of frontier life, but they are shrouded in colors that give the effort an almost mystic edge. An intriguing mix of old-fashioned storytelling and cutting-edge art.

Sharon Hart Addy is the author of Right Here on This Spot, which won the Archer/Eckbald Picture Book Award, and A Visit with Great-Grandma, a CCBC Choice for 1989, and other books. Her work also appears in children's magazines. Sharon Hart Addy lives in Dells, Wisconsin.Wade Zahares has illustrated many books for children, including Window Music, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book. He lives on a farm in Maine and creates children's books in a shed that is in the middle of a field of flowers, gardens, and fruit trees.