by Fred Gipson
True to the title, this book is about the tale of a wonderful "yeller" (in color and the sound of the dog's barking/yelling) dog that enters Travis' life by stealing all of the fresh meat the family has. This creates hostility from out main character, Travis, toward the dog as he is in charge of the well-being of his mama and his little brother, Arliss since his father for a period of time to earn money for the family. Even so, Arliss loved the dog and Travis is forced to put up with the old yeller dog. Soon though, Travis find Old Yeller to be an incomparable companion after as the dog helps Travis to scare off raccoons from feasting on the family's corn throughout the night, helping to handle the rambuctious mule, Jumper, and keeping angry, blood-thirsty hogs at bay while Travis branded them, among other things. After Old Yeller had saved Travis' mama's life, he was exposed to hydrophobia and Travis had to shoot his beloved friend point blank. The book ended with hope as Travis, who had considerably grown as a person, admires Old Yeller's pup steal some cornbread from his mama. And perhaps the cycle continues.
Impact on myself
What a well-told story! This book had incredible foreshadowing. I loved how Travis told us on the first page that he would have to shoot his dog, yet continued the short story anyway. This book truly showed me the tiring aspects of farm life, yet the absolutely happiness it provides. Aside from how inspiring and wonderful Old Yeller was, this book was truly about Travis finding himself and becoming a man. After hearing how Travis handled the travesty, his father told him that he "couldn't ask any more of a grown man. (156)" I can not get enough of stories that show children leaving childhood into the rocky and scary streets of adulthood. It made me think back to when I began to lose my innocence and realize that being an adult was full of hard things. Travis reminded me of the stoic Jim Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird because he never wanted to show emotion and always act like a man. I loved how this book was in first person so that the audience could witness all of Travis' inner conflicts.
Reviews
In this 1957 Newbery Honor winner, 14-year-old Travis is the “man of the house” while his father is away. He desperately wants a horse, and so when a big stray dog shows up, Travis has no use for him. But over time, the dog, Old Yeller, saves Travis’ life and the lives of his mother and brother and becomes Travis’ best friend. But an outbreak of hydrophobia threatens Old Yeller’s life and their friendship. The recording begins and ends with guitar and fiddle music, reminiscent of the frontier. Narrator James adopts a slight southern accent, appropriate to the Texas hill country setting. He reads slowly and carefully and in earnest tones, clearly reflective of Travis—a simple, hardworking boy. This heartwarming story
about the love between a boy and his dog is recommended to a new generation of listeners unfamiliar with the classic tale.
Rich, A. (2010). Old Yeller. Booklist, 106(21), 73.
When Pa goes with the cattle drive to Abilene, Travis becomes the man of the family, responsible for tending the corn, the livestock, and taking care of Ma and little brother. His chores are soon shared by a stray cattle dog, who proves his worth time and again by protecting the family from one hazard after another. Travis learns about making hard decisions when he must shoot his dog after Yeller is exposed to rabies.
Tynan, L. (1990). Old Yeller (Book). Library Journal, 115(2), 125-126.
In a Library
Students in grades 4-8 would enjoy and benefit from reading this book. The unique writing style appeals to the middle school age students (and perhaps even students in the lower grades in high school) because of the young adult themes throughout the story. Librarians in elementary, middle, and high school could advertise this book at the same time that new "animal" books become popular in order to remind students of a similar and a classic pet story.
Gipson, F.(1956). Old Yeller. New York: HarperCollins.
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