A Very Marley Christmas Is A Very Messy Christmas

I still have yet to see Marley and Me, the 2008 Owen Wilson / Jennifer Aniston comedy-weeper based on the best-selling autobiographical book that I have yet to read. I love dog stories. But I’ve been warned that both are very emotional, as they follow the life of this particular dog from adoption to death, so I’ve been somewhat hesitant. However, I had no qualms with picking up A Very Marley Christmas, which merely focuses on the Christmas of Marley’s puppyhood.

John Grogan, author of Marley and Me, also wrote this picture book, which is illustrated by Richard Cowdrey, whose cheerful paintings fill large portions of the pages while still leaving room for several paragraphs. This is a book for slightly older readers, around the 6-to-9 range, though it might be a good read-aloud for younger kids. Marley, a yellow lab known for his knack for getting into loads of mischief, is up to all sorts of tricks in this book, interfering at every turn with the holiday plans of his “parents” and their children, young Cassie and baby Louie.

Most of the book simply details Marley’s various destructive antics. In this respect it reminds me a bit of Clifford, but while the big red dog wreaks havoc wherever he goes by accident, simply because of his size, there’s a sense that this little pup delights in disaster, even if he doesn‘t quite invite it. He spills decorations and plays tug-of-war with the Christmas tree, which he eventually comes to see as his own personal piddling post. He tangles the Christmas lights and tinsel - admittedly, not very difficult to do - and chews up a string of snowflakes made by Cassie. At every turn, he’s doing something to aggravate his family, whose frustration with him leaks out in verbal outbursts. One wonders how much of this two reasonable humans can take.

Of course, by the end of the book, we’ve arrived at a happy resolution in which all is forgiven. The change of heart is tied to a sudden snowfall, as well as the family members’ ability to be easy-going and laugh when many people would feel like screaming. The emphasis on forgiveness and the chronicling of mistakes many pet owners have had first-hand experience with make this a sweet and fun book for those who would always prefer to spend Christmas with a canine companion, even if that means putting up with a little chaos.