Product Description

One Boy. One Dog. One Dream!

Life is not easy for twelve-year-old Diego Escobár. It was wonderful raising Aloha from puppyhood to eighteen months, but now he must return her to the guide dog school for her formal training. Diego always knew that Aloha was on loan to him, but letting her go is proving to be the hardest challenge of his young life.

In this tender, inspirational tale, based on the true-life story of Aloha, Diego discovers that the sweet and sad in life are often interwoven. The unconditional love and trust between Aloha and Diego will enable her to become the dog she was bred to be. In giving her up, Diego gains unexpected rewards.

"Wherever you go, you will walk with a piece of my heart beside you."

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #163285 in Books
• Published on: 2003-02-22
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 3-7-This is the story of seventh-grader Diego, who raises a puppy to become a guide dog for the blind, and of Miss Kimberly Louise, a woman who loses her sight as the result of an automobile accident. Their paths meet when Diego presents Aloha to her after the animal's graduation from Guide Dogs for the Blind. This book does an excellent job of explaining the process of training guide-dog puppies, a topic that will fascinate many children. Unfortunately, the dialogue is often unnatural ("I think it's liberating not seeing an unkempt beard or a blemished face"), or just plain treacly ("My world is still filled with the same marvelous colors as before, but now I'm viewing them from a different perspective"). Character development is told instead of shown, particularly Diego's growing confidence through raising Aloha, and the story begins slowly due to long-winded descriptions. Despite these problems, the moving scenario will have readers sniffling as Diego passes Aloha's leash to Miss Kimberly Louise, and may even lead them to consult the appended list of resources to find out about raising their own guide-dog puppies.
Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Maryland School for the Deaf, Columbia
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
Finely-crafted and compelling, this novel consists of alternating chapters focused on a preteen puppyraiser and his dog Aloha and the middle-aged newly blind woman who would eventually become Aloha's partner. Besides the fact that this book is such a good "read", this novel is a really accurate look at the fun, discipline, and emotional impact of puppy raising. --Sally Rosenthal, Bay Region Barker, July 2004 Vol. 6, Issue 7

Hello, Goodbye, I Love You is touching and inspiring. The reader will not only come away with a keen understanding of guide dogs and what it takes to raise them, but will also appreciate this heartwarming, sweet story. Kimberly Louise inspires readers with her courage. --Writers Digest 2006

Michael Hingson, National Public Affairs Representative, Guide Dogs for the Blind
Pamela Mueller has captured all the emotions from all of us who play a part in a guide dog's life.

Customer Reviews

A Mom's Choice Awards Recipient!
The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

Fantastic!!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Not only is it interesting to read, but is full of facts as well. We share the characters emotions, yet at the same time, learn the realities of raising a guide dog puppy. This book will interest both children and adults but is also a wonderful way to become informed about guide dogs, their trainers and recipients. I know this book will do more than just entertain, it will challenge and encourage people to act and get involved in such a wonderful project.

So you want to raise a guide dog?
This short and very readable children's book will appeal to adults as well and should be required reading for anyone contemplating raising a guide dog puppy. It is heartfelt and informative, all at the same time. The tendency towards excessive sweetness is offset by the blunt facts that this is a tough task and not to be undertaken lightly. It certainly opens your eyes to what is involved but succeeds in not discouraging you from taking on the challenge. The research behind the story makes it accurate so the reader gets the true picture. Armed with this kind of knowledge and the genuine emotion which comes through little Diego, the reader is more likely to want to proceed and many may contact the Guide Dogs associations around the world because of this simple little book.