Momo celebrating time to read: The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan by Jasmine Warga illustrated by Vivienne To

Tuesday, July 7, 2026

The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan by Jasmine Warga illustrated by Vivienne To

“This is Finnegan,” Basma says to the security guard. “He’s our new cheetah ambassador dog.” Cheetah ambassador dog? Finnegan isn’t positive, but he’s pretty certain cheetahs are a type of cat. Why would he have anything to do with cheetahs? This must be a mistake. Maybe his nervousness is making him hear things.

It is very clear from the first chapter, where we meet Finnegan, that he is a stray dog and that he has been through some trauma with his previous owner, but Jasmine Warga uses so much restraint before using just one word to introduce her cheetah cub named Chase and reveal that she is living in a zoo - that word is enclosure.

Finnegan is rescued from the forest by Ryan. Ryan lives with Basma. Basma works at the zoo. Are you connecting the dots?

Jasmine Warga creates the most fantastic levels of tension in her book. There were times when I had to stop reading The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan so I could take a breath. Twice I anticipated that the storyline was taking me to a place of dreadful sadness. On page 80 I actually put this book aside and left it for a couple of hours. I was so worried about Finnegan and the bad choice he was about to make. It was tough to read all the ways Finnegan misunderstands his new family. It broke my heart when he thought their packing boxes meant they were tossing him away just like his previous owner Samuel.

I am very conflicted about zoos and using animals to perform for visitors but putting those concerns to one side I love the relationship of Finnegan and Chase; I loved the way Finnegan describes or makes sense of the world and especially of human behaviour through his sense of smell; and the gently unfolding friendship between the young cheetah cub Chase and Finnegan. Listening to some of the birds in my neighborhood the other day I wondered if birds can understand one another. I am not sure if dogs and cheetahs can talk in 'real life' but as a reader I loved the way Chase and Finnegan share their own life stories and worries. Finnegan really cares about Chase - he gives her such a sweet nickname - Puffball.

The cheetah cub makes an odd noise. It’s not a meow. He thought she would meow because she is a cat. It’s a sound more like one a bird would make. It makes him want to laugh. He sticks his tongue farther out of his mouth, edging closer to her. “Your name is Chase?” She doesn’t answer. And she doesn’t make the chirping noise again, either. “How old are you?” he asks. The cub freezes. “You know I can see you,” he says. “Can you talk? Are you understanding me? I don’t know how to speak cat.” And then he adds, “Or bird. Are you speaking bird?”

I loved that Finnegan was a rescue dog with a hidden past; so many bad things can happen to dogs, and they can't tell their new homes about them! At least Finnegan can confide in Chase when his humans don't quite understand why he is so upset when they are packing up to move to a new home. Ms Yingling

At its heart this is a book that explores trust, communication, belonging, fear, self-doubt, and the ways we try to make sense of our world.

One of the strange things that happens to me when I read an eBook (on a Kindle or other device) is that I am reluctant to jump to the back of the book which is something I do with a paper book - reading the author notes either before I begin a book or while I am taking the journey. All the way through The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan I kept hoping that bringing together a cheetah and a stray dog would be based on real events - and (spoiler alert) yes, it is.

Author Note: A few summers ago, I was visiting the Cincinnati Zoo with my daughters. We went to watch the cheetah run, and during the show, I learned about the practice of pairing cheetahs with rescue dogs. At some zoos across the country, cheetahs are matched with dogs to aid in their social development by becoming their playmates and companions. The dogs and cheetahs often become quite bonded as a result.

Blurb from the author page: Finnegan is a rescue dog with a broken heart. Chase is an anxious cheetah cub, newly orphaned. The two animals couldn't be more different. But one day, they are brought together for the unlikeliest of reasons: Finnegan must help Chase gain the confidence she needs to perform as part of an educational program for children at a zoo. Finnegan and Chase have each suffered losses and have trouble trusting. Yet somehow, they are just what the other needs. But if Finnegan isn’t able to help Chase overcome her fears, he won’t just be letting Chase down–he could be risking his new home as well.

The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan is a book to read and enjoy either alone, or in a family as a read aloud or as a shared book in a class. Because this book is very new and only available in hardcover (AUS$37-UAS$45) you will have to wait for the paperback to arrive here in Australia.

I am not in favour of always dissecting and using a text to 'teach' things but there are some truly wonderful sentences in this book that you could share with a writing group:

His heart beats quickly beneath his rib cage and his belly rumbles. He shivers. The wind continues to howl, whipping and slicing and whooshing. The tree trunks bend and curve. With his paws, he digs to make space beneath a soggy log. He flops down, his belly resting on the wet, muddy earth.

Chase’s mother moves like liquid sunshine, like something molten instead of solid. It is mesmerizing to watch her.

Jasmine Warga beautifully describes all the different smells and the way Finnegan interprets them:

His scent, which changed with his mood. But when he was happy, he smelled like oranges and soap. It was a good smell. The dog loved that smell.

The dog watches the stranger. His scent is soap and sweat. It is sandalwood and grassy soccer fields and chocolate cake.

He inhales the air. He smells the candle. He smells leftover food in the refrigerator. Mmm, he’s pretty sure it’s something cheesy. He loves cheese. Cheese is good. Cheese is happiness.

Finnegan has learned that Ryan, underneath all the spices, almost always smells faintly of chocolate cake, but the scent grows stronger when he is happy.

I picked up this book because Colby Sharp said it was fantastic! He is so right.

Jasmine Warga sent Colby's Grade Five class 25 signed copies of her book.

An endearing, deeply moving story of healing. Kirkus Star review

"Jasmine Warga's brilliant and heartfelt storytelling made my heart soar. While spending time with Chase and Finnegan, words like friendship, family, connection, love, light, and joy kept racing through my mind. Most of all, the story filled me with HOPE!" ―John Schu, librarian and New York Times best-selling author of Louder Than Hunger

"An uplifting and heartwarming story about friendship and the way it can change lives for creatures great and small; sure to leave an impact long after the last page. Hand to fans of Katherine Applegate’s One and Only and Rosanne Parry’s Voice of the Wilderness series." ―School Library Journal (starred review).

Companion books: