After my first reading of Lucky, I wondered why author Craig Inglis would choose to write a children’s story about a dog named Lucky who is hit by a car and loses his leg.  What an awful thing to think about, especially for a young child.  However, upon re-reading Inglis’ book I realize the power of this story for those children who may have had a pet injured in an accident.  Ingles, rather than dwelling on the negative and sad aspect of a dog losing his leg and being permanently handicapped, shows the reader that all things are possible even after a tragic accident.  Lucky is still very much loved and has learned that, by working hard, he can do anything – some things even better – than a four-legged dog can do.  Having three legs instead of four does not change his ability to do tricks OR change the way his owner feels about him.  As Inglis wrote, the man and Lucky are so happy “it almost seemed like they could fly.”  The message here is that Lucky is not just the same dog as before, he is better.