To ["The Dog Who Wouldn't Be"], the portrait of Mutt, puppy and dog, Mr. Mowat brings a tender memory, a sharp eye for observation and a gift of expression that holds both poetry and humor. The development of Mutt as a hunting dog, from the day of his first hunt when he frightened the ducks by racing and screaming at them to the high point in his career when, on a bet, he retrieved a stuffed grouse for want of the real thing, is told with a nostalgic warmth rooted in a man's devotion to a beloved childhood friend.

Besides painting the portrait of an unusual dog, Mr. Mowat also paints the portrait of the author as a boy. The same adjective, "unusual," may be applied to him, for his interests and his pursuits were out of the ordinary. Encouraged by teachers and parents, the boy early showed...