My only negative for this selection of stories is that Jack dies at the end!!! Very hard for my son to deal with, and I was trying not to cry (which that further worsened it for my son)!!! Otherwise, a great collection of stories.

My Review: I picked this book up because I am a fan of the original Laura Ingalls Wilder books but Munchkin has been having a hard time sitting through even one of the books. This is a great one for introducing the story to young kids without the long books. I really enjoyed the various adventures of Jack, he really was a great dog (though I only remember him a little from the original stories). There are some gaps in the storyline to keep it focused on the ones Jack is involved in but I don't think young readers will mind because it keeps the story engaging. I really enjoyed this one and can't wait to share it with Munchkin, I will also be tracking down more in the series.

The Adventures of Laura and Jack by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Copyright 1932
Historical Fiction

t*Spoiler Alert* The Adventures of Laura and Jack by Laura Ingalls Wilder is a story of how a watchdog, Jack, kept his family save throughout everything. In the beginning, the family decides it’s time to move out west. They pack up the house into the wagon and head out. Mary and Laura sit in the wagon as Ma, Pa and baby Carrie sat in front. Jack, their watchdog, would walk along the wagon to keep them save. On their way to the West, they needed to cross over a creek. The tide of the creek rose while the wagon was in the water so Pa had to swim out with horses to help make it across. Once they made it across the creek they realized they didn’t see Jack anymore. Unfortunately, they assumed Jack had drowned due to the rising of the tide and there was nothing they could do about it, but move on. It wasn’t until later that evening when they set up camp under the stars when Jack came running to them. Laura was so happy Jack was still alive because Jack kept her safe.
tWhen they got the West, they moved into their new home and traded the horses in for mustangs and got a mule. During their time in the West, Pa had to go into town to get some items and wouldn’t be back for four days. Mr. Edwards their neighbor would come to check on the girls while Pa was gone. Every time he came over, Jack would bark at him and run him to the woodpile thinking he was a stranger and had to protect the home until Pa came back. Jack would pace around the house and stable to make sure the house was protected. He knew it was his job as the watchdog. Pa finally arrived home four days later and in time the family decided to move to Minnesota.
tWith the help of Jack, the family gets through several different obstacles. To find out how Jack became the best watchdog ever I recommend you read this book. Overall, I give this a book five out of five stars. I think it would teach children a valuable lesson about loyalty to others as well as teach them how families use to live long time ago. Plus, it is an easier read for beginner readers.

This was a great way to introduce a beloved series to my three year old. She's not quite ready for the full Little House books, but this book helped her understand the background settings and characters for when we dive into the original series later. I also like that the stories are lifted and compiled directly from the original books.

My son absolutely LOVED this book!!

Forced by my children to stop reading before last chapter because...Jack dies.

I didn't know that this was just a series of jumpy excerpts from the longer books. I thought it was going to be new content (kind of an "inspired by" rather than "excerpted from.")