Jenna Comes Home
by Elaine Stockton
Christian Faith Publishing


"Have you noticed, Bonnie, how Jenna tries hard to talk? She’s so funny!"

Domestic joy and tranquility are strongly apparent in this trio of picture book tales. The tone is set in the first story when the day finally arrives for Bonnie and her mother to pick up the family’s new puppy. The excitement is palpable and remains high throughout the series. The charming, colorful pencil illustrations mirror the upbeat prose and will delight young readers with their energetic depictions of Jenna, the special dog, and her equally special human friend, Bonnie. Author Stockton is a career school teacher and mother of two and grandmother to six, all girls, so it’s quite likely that she’s drawn upon her wealth of biographical experiences with children and pets to pen these stories about Bonnie and her canine companion.

Each story in this collection is a book and not a chapter, so readers receive more reward for their reading effort while enjoying a full series. The stories are likely designed to be read to young children because the longer sentences and more extensive vocabulary are geared toward mid-elementary juvenile readers ready for picture book tales with more complex prose.

After the familiar, sweet puppy adoption in the collection's titular tale, Bonnie and Jenna wake up excited about Jenna’s birthday in the second story, Jenna’s Secret. Bonnie is quite surprised to learn that Jenna has many more talents than the average year-old dog as they clean and decorate the house for the birthday party. Jenna is indispensable after the party when the pup and Bonnie comfort Jenna’s best friend, who must soon move away with her military family to Japan. In the third adventure, Jenna’s Amazing Talent, which is possibly the most whimsical of the collection, Bonnie and Jenna awaken to another exciting day and get ready to visit a state park near their home, where Bonnie’s father allows them to hike two hours on their own after reviewing important safety rules. Jenna again reveals her special talents when she and Bonnie discover a ruckus happening when a house cat bullies the park’s bird residents farther along the trail. Each story builds upon the ideas presented in the previous tale, creating anticipatory curiosity for readers as Jenna’s and Bonnie’s special qualities are fully revealed.

The collection has some similarities to classic volumes such as the well-known Dick and Jane reading primers, which were conceived by Zerna Sharp and written by William S. Gray between 1930 and 1965. The primers are noted for their simple narrative text designed to teach schoolchildren to read. The author's tales exhibit a similar atmosphere of innocent adventure and discovery exhibited only by the very young and the young at heart. A happy ending was enjoyed by all in the Dick and Jane tales, and in this series, too, problems are confronted and resolved by children and their companion animals.

Stockton's series explores and embraces themes of family, friendship, community, and working together as a team. It also highlights the importance of kindness and compassion. At the conclusion of the stories, Jenna shares her canine wisdom, and the author provides a corresponding Bible verse. The bit of fantasy mixed into the tales lightens what could be a heavier, more prescriptive atmosphere without Jenna’s fun, make-believe qualities.

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