How Stella Learned to Talk

Author: Christina Hunger
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Reviewer: Wendy Goddard
​Christina Hunger is a Speech-Language Pathologist who works with language-delayed toddlers.  She uses various communication devices to help the children communicate with their parents and teachers, including Push-to-Talk buttons.

Christina acquired a puppy (Stella) and noticed that Stella communicated with gestures – by scratching the door if she wanted to go out; and by flipping her empty food bowl if she was hungry.  Christina wondered if some of her work methods might work with Stella. This book is the story of that journey.
I loved this book from the very start.  Christina’s writing style is casual and easy, with a great flow. The reader shares in the anticipation, frustration and joy of the entire process, with gentle dollops of humour along the way. 
Each chapter ends with a summary of the basic guidelines for applying what Christina learned in that chapter. At the end of the book is a 10-page Appendix with instructions, suggestions and ideas on helping you teach your own dog to ‘talk’.
The book certainly inspired me, and I wasted no time ordering the Recordable Answer Buttons online. It took a few weeks to get the message across to my dog, Steffi; but I now fear I may have created a monster. Each time I go near the food bowl, Steffi pushes the ‘Supper’ button and looks up at me hopefully. Of course, I have to oblige…
Even though the book can be seen as a text book or instruction manual, it makes an equally good read as a story. Highly recommended.