Ava is a feisty little girl who loves dogs and likes bandaids. One day a large old dog follows Ava and Gramps home. Ava’s mom won’t let her have a pet so she can’t keep him. But she does name him Diego. He is smelly. They take him to the rescue shelter the next day but Ava and Gramps visit him there every week. Who will give Diego a home? A heartwarming adoption story of unconditional love.

Ava and her Gramps were out walking when they noticed a stray, old, smelly dog following them. The dog followed them home and Ava wanted to keep him but Gramps stated she couldn’t keep him as her mother said they couldn’t afford a pet and that the dog, named Diego by Ava, needed to go to the dog shelter.

At the shelter, the vet explained that as Diego was so old he most likely wouldn’t get chosen as a family pet and would need to be transferred to a bigger shelter.

Diego the Smelly Dog is a heart-warming tale of an old dog just looking for a new family and a young girl wanting to give the old dog a home and some love.

The illustrations are beautiful and catch the storyline perfectly. The wording is easy to understand and kept to a minimum. The plot is somewhat realistic (the real horrors of the animal shelter and the long adoption processes have been cut out).

This is a lovely book. It shows compassion, empathy, and how much love a dog can bring to a family.