Pippin and the Bones

Sylvia Pantaleo is an assistant professor of education specializing in
children’s literature at Queen’s University. She is the co-author of
Learning with Literature in the Canadian Elementary Classroom.

Pippin loves chewing on bones, and then digging holes to bury her bones.
One day Mabel is digging in her garden, and Pippin begins digging, too.
Mabel does not want Pippin’s assistance so she gives her a beef bone
to keep her busy. But as soon as Pippin is finished chewing on the bone,
she buries it, making a mess of the lawn and tomato plants. Mabel is not
happy and throws Pippin’s bone out of the yard. The dog grabs the bone
and runs off to the woods to bury it. As she digs the hole, Pippin
discovers a mastodon skeleton.

Mabel phones the museum and people arrive the next day. They are
thrilled with Pippin’s discovery and begin excavating the skeleton.
Poor Pippin—the museum people do not want her assistance and soon take
all of the bones away in a truck, including her beef bone! But all turns
out well—Mabel and Pippin are invited to the museum’s mastodon party
and the curator returns Pippin’s bone.

Readers first met Pippin and Mabel in Pippin Takes a Bath (1999). Once
again the antics of this lovable dog will entertain readers. Bernice
Lum’s simple, cartoon-like illustrations nicely complement the story.
Pippin’s facial expressions are particularly delightful. Recommended.