
Fed up with his down-and-out life, Daddy sets out in his car to just get away from it all to nowhere in particular. His family and friends have abandoned him. The one companion he can count on completely, his dog, follows him blindly and faithfully to the end.
Publisher:
New York : NBM, 2011.
ISBN:
9781561636129
1561636126
1561636126
Branch Call Number:
741.5952 MURAK
Characteristics:
124 pages : chiefly illustrations ; 23 cm
Additional Contributors:


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Add NoticesSummary
Add a SummaryMuch of the story is told from the perspective of Happie, a dog. Happie joins a family and narrates his life with them. As time goes by and the characters grow older, the family starts to fall apart. Soon, Happie is left with Daddy, the dad in the family. Daddy and Happie set out in Daddy's car and face life together. Happie doesn't always understand the unfortunate events that take place, but Daddy still tells them to Happie regardless. This is a story depicting man's best friend living up to his name.

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Add a CommentThis is a heartbreaking story about a cute fluffy white dog and a kind man who has been abandoned by everyone else in his life. Read this book with a big box of tissues nearby because there will be tears.
Such a sweet love story about a broken man and his loyal best friend! I cried a heap :'(
Yes, I know the cover looks too cute for words; the adorable dog in the midst of a field of sunflowers. Just turn the page, though, and you’ll see that this no cute little kiddie book. However, it IS funny, touching, heartwarming and ultimately heartrending. (it’s one of the few books that ever made me cry.) The police find an abandoned car in an isolated field, so a young social worker sets out to solve the mystery. Happy the dog relates most of the narrative of the first half of the book, starting with how he first came to live with his human “Daddy”. Daddy is a little lazy, and a little slow, but under his tough façade, he’s always kind, optimistic, and generous even as his life crumbles around him. Happy repays Daddy with unfailing love and loyalty to the end. In lesser hands, this would be cloying, yet it becomes achingly sad and inspiring at the same time.
The second half, "Sunflowers", depicts the young social worker intent on unraveling the mystery behind the abandoned car in the sunflower fields. As he retraces Daddy's steps, he realizes the truth behind the old saying " “To the world, you are only one being, but to one being, you are the whole world.”. Keep a kleenax handy for the last scene.
A very endearing tale of the strength of the bond between dog and human. It's a sad story, but a good one.
I really love this book. It's so simple, yet sad, poignant, and beautiful. I loved that humor was intertwined within the sadness, it made it a joy to read. I found the second half ("Sunflowers") to be a bit unnecessary for the story. It doesn't ruin it or anything, but it doesn't add on much either.