Wales' account of the U.S. Postal Service's first, and probably only, canine mascot will strike a chord with animal lovers and inspire inquiries into history and geography. In 1887, on a cold, rainy night in Albany, New York, a postal worker takes pity on a shivering dog that has taken shelter in the depot. Although it's against the rules, the supervisor allows "Owney" to stay. One day, the dog jumps aboard a mail train and discovers he likes riding the rails. News of his adventures, which ultimately include a trip around the world, spreads as he travels, and people give him baggage tags from the places he visits. The overuse of exclamation points aside, the narrative is clear and straightforward, and the scratchy, earth-toned illustrations aptly convey both the scraggliness of the stray and the nineteenth-century backdrop of the story. A satisfying tale, all the more pleasing for being true. Diane Foote Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved