This gives the animals of our homes a voice. This is one that I will require my children to read.I haven't found the book that followed, Beautiful Joe's Paradise, so I can't comment on how well it serves as a base for a series. I can say that this one speaks so deeply to my heart that my love of animals feels right, true and justified.Your heart is grabbed in the very beginning by the rough treatment encountered so young...and you rejoice with each step he takes, each storm he weathers.