Big Red Paperback – Illustrated, June 1, 2011

Loved the book

Jim Kjelgaard is a really great writer of dog stories set in the outdoors. "Big Red" is the first of three Irish Setter books. If you like "Big Red" the second book is "Irish Red" and the third one is "Outlaw Red". Danny lives with his father in a shack back in the mountains. They run a trap line and harvest wild honey for money. They are squatters on the land of a rich man, Mr. Haggin. Danny's mother died a long time ago. Danny and his father make a little money on the side by doing work for Mr. Haggin. Mr. Haggin has a beautiful Irish Setter he calls Boy. When Danny sees him, it's love at first sight. But when Danny asks Mr. Haggin how much a dog like Boy would cost, Mr. Haggin says he paid $7000 for him. Danny knows a trapper could never afford a dog like that. Mr. Haggin takes an interest in Danny. It is clear that Danny is different from his father, he has some kind of quality he inherited from his mother, tempered by the ruggedness and independence he learned from living in the wilderness. Mr. Haggin gives Danny a job taking care of Boy, who Danny calls Red. Like Danny, Red shows special quality. But he has never done for himself. He's a show dog. Mr. Haggin sends Danny to New York with Red when he's in a dog show. Then when they go back to Mr. Haggin's ranch, Danny is allowed to take Red out in the wilderness. Red learns from Danny how to be a brave and rugged dog. Red and Mr. Haggin give Danny a chance to move into the civilized world, and Danny gives Red a chance to reach his potential as a real dog in the outdoor world. An earlier reviewer made a great point that applies to all of Mr. Kjelgaard's books I have read: the dog doesn't have to be killed in his books. Most great dog stories are very sad. Examples would be "Sounder", "Where the Red Fern Grows", and "Old Yeller". I don't really like to watch most dog movies, because the dog always dies. The worst that happens to the dogs in Mr. Kjelgaard's books is a broken leg, or a bad wound that heals. No kleenex needed, no broken hearts here.

My 11 year old son really enjoyed this book and it held up being hauled around in his backpack to and from school. We purchased the hard back one.

I am an 11 year old boy and recently read Big Red. Big Red is a book about a boy named Danny and his dog. Danny is 17 years old and lives on his neighbor, Mr. Haggin’s, property with his father. Danny really likes Mr. Haggin’s dog, so Mr. Haggin allows Danny to take care of the dog. Danny calls the dog “Red” and he is an Irish Setter. Because Red is a fancy show dog, Danny gets paid $50 a month to take care of him. Danny loves Red because he is very smart, loving, and beautiful. Danny trains the dog to hunt and Red is a very good hunter. Red and Danny have many adventures together. In one adventure they trap and escaped prisoner in the woods. This was one of my favorite parts of the books. It was really exciting! Also Red fights a bear in the forest. No one wins, but the bear is afraid of Red. No other dogs would go near the bear. Red is very brave. At the end of the book Danny kills the bear with Red’s help. The bear bit Red’s leg, but he recovers. I liked all the adventures of this story. I wish there were one main plot. Instead there were many different adventures. I would recommend this book to people who like adventures and dogs.

I never read a Jim Kjelgaard book I didn't like; they are all good. I read Big Red many years ago. I bought this copy for my grandson because, as a dog lover, I know he'll enjoy it as much as I did. Great book by a great author!

I use this book for literature in our school work. It is a great book for students to do individual reading and book reports. Not tough vocabulary lesson to follow and understand the book.

I read the Big Red stories when I was a very young reader. To me, this book is a classic that younger generations (and older too) will want to read and re-read as I have done.

An old book that reads as good now as ever. Also gives some insight to how people lived in the old days. I knew people in 1970 who lived about 70 miles from New York City who had no indoor running water. Overall a great book

Lovely film - a bid dated but a wonderful story.

Classic. Made me really want a setter as a child.

Lovely story - perfect read for devoted Irish setter dog owners!And it has a happy ending too!

This book's simple prose does paint my boyhood love for dogs and the woods. I remember buying books on trapping, and tramping through any woods I could find. Kjelgaard reminds me of Zane Grey's writing: polished vocabulary combined with cowboy drawl, in writing.

Timeless children's (and not so young) classic adventure story that explores the devotion and love between man and dog's unconditional love for each other. I am a senior reading it for the first time upon the recommendation of my wife who read it when she was 10.