ALA Booklist

Janie would love to have a pet, but her parents don't want one. After finding a collar and leash that belonged to a Great Dane that died when she was two, she invents Henry, an imaginary pet. Henry is a marvelous creature, a harlequin Great Dane with lovely manners. Janie's parents are amused by Janie's creation, but Mrs. Garrow, the eccentric old lady who lives up the street, treats Henry as though he were real. Is it magic or simply luck when Janie's parents suddenly begin to think about buying a dog, Janie inherits exactly the amount of money necessary to buy a Great Dane, and the family finds a dog that not only looks like Henry but also has his name? King-Smith has created another irresistible yarn with lots of coincidences that readers will love. His wonderful dialogue will make the story a great read-aloud. (Reviewed Mar. 1, 1993)

Horn Book (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Janie wants a Great Dane more than anything, so she acquires an invisible one and names it Henry--until a series of coincidences lead to Janie's ownership of a flesh-and-blood Henry. The clever, accessible title is just the thing for beginning readers who are as imaginative and independent as Janie. Even in this brief book, King-Smith's flair for storytelling and his ability to make characters come to life is evident.

Kirkus Reviews (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

When Janie finds the leash and collar that belonged to Rupert—a paragon of a dog who died five years ago when she was two—her parents make it clear that they're not about to replace him: only another Great Dane would do, and they're far too expensive. Janie, a sensible lass whose persistence and imagination much resemble King-Smith's Sophie's, wastes no time in argument; instead, she declares the existence of an invisible Great Dane, gets her dad involved in naming him Henry, walks him around on the old leash, and makes friends with an elderly neighbor who accepts Henry's existence with a good-humored common sense that mirrors Janie's own. In the end, a real dog is found; just as her parents are beginning to come round anyhow, Janie gets an unexpected bequest, and they find a half-grown pup with a tiny kink in his tail that gives him a bargain price. A minor effort from this reliable author, but told in his usual refreshingly brisk style and set forth in attractive, easy- looking format. (Young reader. 7-10)"

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-- A beginning chapter book that is well up to King-Smith's usual high standards. Janie is nearly eight-years-old and can barely remember her family Great Dane that died when she was two. She longs for another pet, but her parents insist that they no longer have the time or the money for such a large dog. Janie finds Rupert's collar and leash hanging in the garage and begins an elaborate game of pretending to have an imaginary dog. She meets an elderly neighbor who enters into the fun. How Janie succeeds in finding, first, the money she needs, and then, her flesh-and-blood Great Dane makes a marvelously unpredictable tale, and one that ends with a tantalizing bit of ambiguity. The author has the ability to round out characters in just a few well-chosen words. A fine choice for newly independent readers or as a classroom read-aloud. Children will beg for more. --Ruth Semrau, Lovejoy School, Allen, TX