Pete and Fremont Book

A cleverly funny circus story about an unlikely friendship

Children's Literature

Pete the pink poodle has been a circus performer for his whole life, but when his tail catches fire as he jumps through a flaming hoop, his owners think he might be getting too old for his act. He is given one more chance. When he misses again, Pete is demoted to the "Canine Cannonball" act. Then, he befriends a young grizzly bear named Fremont. The bear has been captured but is scared of the trainers, and the circus life isn't working out for him. The unlikely pair works on a new act together. It is a big hit and returns Pete to star billing, but Fremont still wants to go back to the woods. So, Pete puts "Operation Wild Thing" into play to help his new friend escape. This story is told from the dog's point of view. Animals can talk to each other and understand humans, but humans cannot understand animals. The pen-and-ink cartoon drawings are very descriptive and add to the characters' development. This book's interest level is second to fourth grade, but the reading level is on the high side of this group. It may be too long to hold the attention of its intended audience and would work better as a read-aloud book shared by an adult and a child. Reviewer: Chris Newsham