by Fred Gipson
First published 1966
Cotton Kinney has tried everything to get his parents to agree to a dog. The twelve-year-old even bought his father a studded collar and his mother an enameled mixing pan sized perfectly for dog food as Christmas gifts. His hints fall flat. Christmas arrives without the dog he desperately wants. Then Blackie Scantling shows up for dinner one evening. The best coon hunter around brings his two hounds, Rock and Drum, and changes everything for Cotton. Blackie invites Cotton and his friend Spud to join him on hunting adventures through the countryside. Spud brings along his small feist-dog Snuffy for the expeditions. The trio faces down an angry bull in one memorable encounter. They wrestle with a stubborn turkey gobbler in another. Through each adventure, Cotton learns what it means to work with dogs and hunt alongside experienced outdoorsmen. Most importantly, Blackie helps Cotton in his quest to find a dog he can finally call his own. The search becomes more than just wanting a pet. It becomes Cotton's path toward understanding responsibility, friendship, and what it truly means to earn something precious.
Genres: animals, 20th-century, adventure, coming-of-age
Vibes: emotional, heartwarming, nostalgic
Tropes: found-family, quest
Setting: Countryside
Period: Christmas
Hardcover · Harpercollins Juvenile Books