Sounder by William H Armstrong

"He ran his fingers back and forth over the broad crown of the head 

of a coon dog named Sounder."

Publisher blurb: Set in the 19th-century American South, this is the story a poor African-American sharecropping family, their faithful dog, Sounder, and the eldest boy's efforts to learn how to read and help his mother to support the family after his father is arrested for stealing a ham. When Sounder chases after the Sheriff's deputies he is shot and he crawls away, seemingly to die. For weeks the boy thinks that he has lost both his father and his dog, but then Sounder comes back, lame and missing an ear. The boy continues to search for his father, until a few years later the father returns home, disabled from a quarry accident. Reunited at last, the father and Sounder go on one final hunting trip together . . .

Sounder was published in 1969 and it won the Newbery Medal but, while I had heard of this book, reading it last week was a new experience for me. You can read a longer plot summary here. 

There is a whole lesson you could using book covers - you can see a good selection at the top of this post. This is also a book to use if you are talking about the power of a short novel. I had lots of readers in my former school library who not only judged a book by its cover but also by its length. For some a long long book was prestigious for others a shorter book meant the reading might be accomplished more quickly but for other, the kids who worried me, a shorter book somehow meant it would not be good or worth reading. If I was book talking Sounder either with a library group or with one reader I think this book could be the one to persuade them that shorter books can be just as terrific as those long tomes.

Here are some text quotes that resonated with me:

"What the boy saw in Sounder would have been totally missed by an outsider. The dog was not much to look at - a mixture of Georgia redbone hound and bulldog. His ears, nose and colour were those of a redbone. The great square jaws and head, his muscular neck and broad chest showed his bulldog blood."

"The boy pressed his head deep into his straw pillow. The pillow was cold, but it felt smooth, and smelled fresh. He had the same feeling he got when he rubbed his face against the sheets that hung on the clothesline every Monday. His mother washed his pillowcase and sheet every week, just like she did for the people who lived in the big house down the road."

"He watched his mother as she patched his father's overalls with a piece of ticking. The combination of faded blue overall cloth and grey-and-white-striped ticked looked odd."

"The loneliness that was always in the cabin, except when his mother was singing or telling a story about the Lord, was heavier than ever now. It made the boy's tongue heavy. It pressed against his eyes and they burned. It rolled against his ears. His head seemed to be squeezed inward, and it hurt."

"The boy was crying now. Not that there was any new or sudden sorrow. There just seemed to be nothing else to fill up the vast lostness of the moment. ... The tears ran down through the cobwebs and dust that covered his face, making little rivulets. ... There was so sign of Sounder's body."

The novel's strength lies in its meticulous portrayal of the boy's internal world as he grapples with the injustice inflicted upon his family. Following his father's arrest and subsequent imprisonment, the boy embarks on a series of lonely journeys, seeking his father in chain gangs across the landscape, his steadfast loyalty mirroring Sounder’s own unwavering devotion. These journeys are not merely physical; they are spiritual odysseys that test the limits of childish optimism and force a premature confrontation with the world's cruelty. Armstrong masterfully uses the natural world – the desolate roads, the changing seasons – as a backdrop that both reflects and amplifies the boy's emotional state, a silent witness to his quiet suffering. Reviewer Insight

Companion books:

Shiloh

The truth as told to Mason Buttle

Letters to a Dog by Piers Torday illustrated by Alice McKinley

I, for real, sat down to write a letter to a DOG. But you’re not just any dog – you’re a little brown-and-white terrier. With short legs and a wagging tail. And the softest, gentlest eyes. I don’t even know your name, but when I saw you at the dog home last week, I just knew we were going to be friends. 

This is a sweet story about a young boy - Jamie Monroe who is desperate for a dog. His mum has died and his dad has become very distant. Before going to hospital Jamie visited a dog shelter and he saw the perfect little dog. He decides to write a letter to 'Dog'. 

Letters to a Dog is a Barrington Stoke book which means it is short (72 pages) and easy to read and contains a story that will appeal to young readers - in this case aged 8+.

Blurb from author webpage: Jamie is in hospital waiting for a life-changing operation. And to make a difficult time even harder, he’s fallen out with his dad and refuses to speak to him when he comes to visit. To keep his spirits up, nurse Shirley suggests he writes a letter to the dog he desperately wants to adopt from the local dogs’ home. But imagine his surprise when Dog writes back!

Dear Jamie, Many thanks for your letter dated last Tuesday, which I can confirm has arrived. Please note that because of the large volume of correspondence being received, there may be a short delay in answering your query. Yours sincerely, c/o Cute Dogs Home London P.S. Please note that this letter has been sniffed for security and training purposes. P.P.S. Please be patient. I am a dog. But please know I am reading your letters. Every word.

Did 'Dog' really write this letter? Jamie thinks it feels a little like AI. He is totally shocked that 'Dog' has replied so he decides to write back. It is seven days until his surgery so there is a letter for each day and in each letter, Jamie shares his deep feelings about what has happened in his life and more importantly why he has stopped talking to his dad. 

This is a beautifully told, empathetic story that does not shy away from the heartbreak that families go through when dealing with loss and the different ways that people cope with grief. It also a story that shines with love, memories and promises fulfilled. Book Craic

Torday’s skill as a writer has created a lively, well-crafted story with a character who speaks directly to the young reader. The illustrations by Alice McKinley add that important visual element. The Barrington Stoke format ensures that this will attract a wide range of readers. This is an excellent addition to any library – a story rooted in a reality that will have a wide appeal. Books for Keeps

Piers Torday began his career in theatre and then television as a producer and writer. He is the author of the Last Wild trilogy, titles within which have won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, been shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and the UKLA Award and nominated for the Carnegie Medal. In 2016, There may be a Castle was a Times Children's Book of the Year. In regular demand as a speaker at schools and festivals, Piers is also a reading helper with Beanstalk, a former judge on the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, a Patron of Reading at Heathmere School and a trustee of the Pleasance Theatre.

Click the label Barrington Stoke on this post to see lots more books from this excellent publisher. I was in a bookstore recently and talking to the young book seller I mentioned Barrington Stoke - she had not heard of them. I do think (if you are a bookseller) you should consider stocking some books from this series. I especially loved their YA titles which I have shared here. 

Little Blue Where are you? by Sally Morgan illustrated by Karen Blair

"One bright and shimmery summer's day Skippy Gillespie went out to play with a pitter pat of his small dog paws and a scritchetty scratch of his small dog claws."

Little Blue - the baby duck - is lost and even worse she is being hunted by an enormous cat named Rocky Road Jack. Luckily Skippy Gillespie and his friend Boofa Boy Jones are able to spring into action and save the day. 

Thanks to Fremantle Press for sending me a copy of this new book which has just been published. Here are the teacher's notes. Little Blue where are you? is a book I would read to a preschool group for enjoyment. There are lots of ideas in the teacher's notes but in my view it would be best select the ideas that suit your class or library group and not attempt every question or activity. This could also be a book you could adapt for a reader's theatre with older students presenting the story for the youngest children in your school. I am imagining doing this will the addition of percussion instruments as a way to add sounds to the story. Your art teacher could also use this double page spread showing sunlight on the lake as a lesson inspiration.

Publisher blurb: Skippy Gillespie is taking himself for a walk in the park – but he is not alone! Rocky Road Jack has followed him, and that nasty cat now has his eyes firmly on a tiny duckling. Will Skippy save the day, and will Little Blue ever get home to his mother?

Your young reading companion will hear some wonderful words (real and invented) in this story - shimmery, slashetty, quailed, charging, and frenzied.

Here is the review from Readings Melbourne:

• It’s made for reading aloud. Morgan’s bouncy rhymes are packed with playful sound words, and we can already hear little ones joining in by the second read. It’s the kind of book that gets requested again at bedtime.
• Skippy is a hero worth rooting for. When he spots a small creature in trouble, he doesn’t walk past. With his mate Boofa Boy Jones, he steps up to help. It opens up easy conversations with kids about kindness and looking out for others.
• Karen Blair’s illustrations are full of movement. Ears flap, legs stretch and water swirls across the page. Some words are even drawn to look like they sound. The characters’ faces show exactly how everyone is feeling, which makes this a lovely book for talking about emotions.

The publicity notes for Little Blue mention The Detective Dog series by Julia Donaldson; Dog Beach by Julie Murphy; and the Hairy Maclary series by Lynley Dodd. 

I previously talked about this book which is the first in this series also by Sally Morgan and Karen Blair which is where we first met Skippy Gillespie.

The Midnight Chew

Here are a couple of my own favourite books about ducks:

The Other Ducks

Just Ducks

Don't Fidget a Feather!

Amazing Astro Animals by James Foley

"Humans decided to send small animals in their rockets until they were sure they could make it safe enough to send themselves. Because of this, the early history of animals in space includes many sad stories." [sorry I know this is a spoiler]

Astro - this means SPACE! Astro Animals! This means animals sent into space! Amazing ones yes because even though you might know about a few such as Laika the dog sent in 1957 and maybe a monkey or chimp and if you really are a space boffin you might have heard that a tardigrade travelled into space in 2007 but I guarantee you will have no idea about the other sixty animals that James Foley describes in his newest book. If you don't believe me what about the Mummichog Fish?

Image source: James Foley

I was not sure how to start this blog post about Amazing Astro Animals. I think I would like to fill my page with the word WOW written hundreds of times all over this post - yes this is a WOW book! The title is so right - the animals in this book are amazing and James Foley, your book is amazing too!

The Space Race really was a race mainly between the USA and the Soviet Union although other countries did get involved too but before humans went up into the cosmos a huge variety of animals blasted off in the interest of science. Was this ethical?

The first couple of pages in this book are used to explain the term animals because, as you know, there are so many different kinds of animals. Your young reading companion or class (me too) really need this overview of the animal kingdom that James Foley presents over a double page spread. There are seven pages in total that explore animal classifications and then a further spread which identifies all the dangers of space such as no air, lack of gravity, isolation, and extreme temperatures. 

Each section of Amazing Astro Animals is colour coded to match the chapter headings: Fantastic Firsts; Mammal-nauts; Slimy-nauts, Scaly-nauts and Feathery-nauts; Aqua-nauts; and Teeny-tiny-nauts. Plus, like all the best nonfiction books there is an extensive glossary and a full index.

James Foley has created true alchemy with this new book. It is factual and clearly involved thousands of hours of painstaking research, but this book is also funny, clever, poignant and a visual delight. Congratulations to Fremantle Press on giving James Foley the scope to make such a huge book (150 pages) in hardcover and for a very affordable price. EVERY school and public library needs to add this book to their collection. In fact, you might like to buy two copies because this book will be in high demand. I feel very lucky to have been sent a review copy of this glorious volume. 

It would take me days to list all of my discoveries from this book (and really all YOU need to do is read the whole book for yourself) but I will mention a couple that made me gasp:

• Neil Armstrong is famous but he was not the first human to go to space and of course he was not the first Earthling either. The first Earthlings in space were fruit flies. The first human was the Russian cosmonaut Turi Gagarin. His flight lasted just under two hours. 
• Laika was not the first dog sent into space but she was the first Earthling to orbit the Earth. 
• The first woman in space was Valentina Tereshkova from Russia. I read about her mission orbiting the earth 48 times over three days and I cheered when I read she became a Major General and even a politician BUT then I discovered "she voted in favour of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022" and so my opinion of this space pioneer plummeted.  
• As of 2026 only 15% of humans who have travelled to space have been women. 
• The first Earthlings to travel around (not land) on the moon were tortoises and mealworms (1968).
• Many of the animals sent into space were given sweet names - Miss Able and Miss Baker (squirrel monkeys from USA); Belka meaning Squirrel and Stelka meaning arrow (white lab rats from USSR 1960); and Yerosha and Drema (rhesus macaques 1987).
• In 1984 3,400 honeybees travelled on the Space Shuttle Discovery and they were able to make honey in space!
• Some of the animals sent into space were suggested by High School students who entered competitions.

This book just resonates with research and please stop and think about that because researching material from USSR and Russia in a language you don't speak and from organisations that, even now, years later are sure to be shrouded in secrecy must have been so challenging. I imagine James Foley learned a lot too about animal biology, space missions, and rocket designs not to mention diplomacy.

Here are the teachers notes for Amazing Astro Animals. See some pages here. 

Do you remember Stella? We met her in 2021. Her book, like this one, had fabulous end papers filled with astronauts - animal astronauts. Amazing Astro Animals is a companion volume to the wonderful Stellarphant which was a CBCA Picture Book of the Year Honour book (and I am proud to say I was one of the three judges that year!). Dr Stella Phant has written the foreword and afterword to Amazing Astro Animals, and you will love discovering her 'joke' on the back cover.

Stellarphant

Readers of all ages are captivated by space, and this animal astronaut showcase has broad appeal. James Foley has drawn from his picture book and graphic novel talents to create a uniquely entertaining and genuinely fascinating nonfiction book. There are fun comic strips and visual gags throughout, and fans of Foley’s wonderful picture book Stellarphant will be delighted to recognise a familiar face in the opening pages. Reading Melbourne

Image source: James Foley

My interest in animals that were sent into space goes back to this very old book but now that I have read this new volume by James Foley I have discovered so many more animals along with their true stories:

I recently read this book about Laika the famous Russian dog sent into space:

Dog Star

Further Reading:

Fifty Animals that have been to Space by Jennifer A Read and John Read (2020)

(This book tells the stories of 50 trips into space, and the animals and the scientists involved).

Kiddle: Animals in space facts for kids

Animals in Space timeline National Geographic (this is brilliant)

Fun facts about animals in space

Dogs in Space: The Amazing True Story of Belka and Strelka by Vix Southgate, illustrated by Iris Deppe

Grace in Space by Stacy Shaneyfelt illus Marina Maslova

Grace In Space: A Kids’ Picture Book About the History of 10 Animal Astronaut Heroes

Included: Laika; Marfusha; and Felicette

Dog Star by Megan Shepherd

"If we can't stop the rocket, maybe we can get Laika out. We can't let her go on a mission with no chance of return. She isn't like the equipment you have in that capsule. 

She's a living creature."

Nina is old to enough to begin to question her life in the Soviet Union. Her best friend, along with her friend's parents, have recently defected to the US. Nina herself is being trained to be a good Soviet citizen. Her father works for the Institute of Space Medicine. The space race is in full swing. The Russians are desperate to be first. The Americans are planning to use monkeys and mice but in Russia a small stray dog is selected and trained. 

Meanwhile we meet a street dog, later to be named Laika. She longs to become a warm dog but when she is captured, she is taken to a strange place and put into a cage. Sharing this space are two other dogs. One has already been sent into space so she explains the three tests that Laika will undergo and how, if she can pass these tests, and travel into space the reward will be a real home with children to love her.

Bookseller blurb: Based on an incredible true story, Carnegie Medal nominee and New York Times-bestselling author Megan Shepherd crafts a harrowing, propulsive girl-and-her-dog tale that will linger in your heart long after the last page. Laika is a Cold Dog, a stray pup fighting for her life on the streets of Moscow. Then, one winter night, she is plucked from her alley to become a Starflyer, a dog trained to travel into space. Distrustful of people, Laika tries to do everything she can to escape. That is, until she meets Nina. Nina is a Cold Girl, lonely and full of questions. Her best friend has moved to America in a rush, leaving Nina to face the school bullies all by herself. Plus, her father's work as a scientist in the Soviet Space Program grows more secretive by the day. When the two meet in her father's laboratory, their growing bond slowly warms the chill that has settled in each other's hearts. As the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union grows fierce, Laika and Nina uncover shocking secrets and hard truths that will test their friendship. How will they find the courage to chase their dreams all the way to the stars?

Have you ever thought about the idea of warm dogs and cold dogs. Warm dogs live with a family. They are fed, allowed to be inside and even perhaps sit on a couch and most of all they are loved, especially by children. A cold dog is a street dog. A dog that lives by scavenging and a dog that works hard to survive extremes of heat and cold. And it sure is cold on the streets of Moscow. Laika was a cold dog until the day she was captured for use in the space program.

The title comes from the third voice in we hear in this story - we hear Laika beginning when she is just surviving on the streets of Moscow; we hear Nina who is so upset about the loss of her friend and we read about her struggles to cope with the Young Pioneers; and the third voice is the actual dog star - a voice of encouragement and wisdom that only Laika can hear. 

The ending of this book is inevitably very sad - perhaps if you are recommending this book to a reader in your library you might decide to explain this. Laika was a real dog. She was sent into space from the USSR in 1957. An enormous amount of work went into preparing her for the journey, but it seems almost no plans were made for her return. No one knows when or how but Laika did perish on the voyage.

There is a strange but fascinating inclusion in this book - the book is from a US author but she has included an article dated November 27th, 1957, from our Australian Women's Weekly magazine.

Here are a couple of text quotes:

"Nina felt a rush of confidence now. She sat up straighter. 'Yes dogs. I can help my father with the dogs who will be sent into space! ... Through this, um, I can make the Motherland proud."

"In a few days Laika will travel to the cosmodrome. I wanted to do something nice for her first. One night to have a home away from the Institute. To just be a dog; to bark and play.' He knelt down, scratching Laika behind the ears. 'Can you do that for her, lapochka?"

"So many questions buzzed in her head. Their teachers taught them to respect even street dogs but didn't respect the students enough to tell them the truth. Maybe Ludmilla's family had left because they didn't feel safe in a country where information was so often kept secret. Now, like Ludmilla, would Laika disappear forever too?"

You can hear Megan Shepherd talking about her book here. Dog Star was published in 2023 but I picked up my copy in a bookshop earlier this year. 

The narrative alternates between Nina’s and Laika’s points of view; Laika’s perspective is anthropomorphized with inner monologue as well as dialogue between dogs, and this works to the story’s advantage in arousing sympathy for the small animal who was sacrificed for science. A poignant story that accessibly illuminates a milestone in space exploration history. Kirkus

Read more about animal astronauts here. Companion books:

I previously read Secret Horses of Briar Hill by Megan Shepherd:

The Secret Horses of Briar Hill

The Snow Dragon by Abi Elphinstone illustrated by Fiona Woodcock

"It was Christmas Eve, and Phoebe could see that the little town of Whistlethrop was covered in a thick layer of snow. It was the first snow of winter and it had come silently in the night, the way magic often does."

This opening sentence holds so much promise for a wonderful story. It is Christmas Eve - surely that means wishes can come true. The snow came silently the way magic often does - it is confirmed. Magic is coming. But who is Phoebe? Where is she living? Why does she need some magic in her life?

Phoebe lives in an orphanage and if you need confirmation that it is a horrid place just think about the name - Griselda Bone's Home for Strays. It seems the children who are taken there have to stay or stay that is, until Miracle Day.

As the story opens, it is Miracle Day, a day that happens only once each month. Today is Miracle Day but it is for Jack, Phoebe's friend. And now that he has gone, she is the last child left. All she has now is her little dog Herb. 

Griselda punishes Phoebe for using her imagination in a writing activity. She sends her to the dog kennels for the night. It is freezing cold and she is fastened with a metal cuff. Then something magical happens - you can see him on the book cover - the snow dragon.

WOW! This is a picture book I picked up a recent charity bookfair. I based this selection purely on the cover image. I didn't even bother to read the blurb on the back cover. What a fabulous discovery. This is a story about an orphan, it is about the power of dreams and imagination, and it has the most wonderful (and all important) happy ending.

Everything about this book, (which is an abridged version of a tale included in the collection, Winter Magic), is out of this world gorgeous. The telling is full of uplifting messages for youngsters, not least of which is that even in dark times ‘We all have the gift of wonder’ and mustn’t forget to look at the world’s natural beauty. ‘Be content. Be watchful. Be brave’ the dragon tells her. Red Reading Hub

The Snow Dragon was published in 2019 (it is still available) but the story originally appeared in an anthology entitled Winter Magic. Here is the webpage for Abi Elphinstone. I previously talked about her novel Sky Song.

Sky Song

Here is the webpage for Fiona Woodcock. Her work really shines in The Snow Dragon and here are some of her books which I will now hunt out:

This is just to say: Poems of apology and forgiveness by Joyce Sidman illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

Although the poems can be enjoyed alone, readers will truly understand the magic of this book when they read the poem of apology and the response together.  For the Love of the Book

At first I thought this book was a collection of poems written by school students but then, after quite a long search, I discovered it was all written by Joyce Sidman - she was inspired by a group of fourth grades who she asked to write a sorry poem to her mother. 

"This made me think a lot about apology and forgiveness. What if all these sorry poems were actually sent to the people they were written to? What if all those people wrote back?"

So as the review quote at the start of this post says - it works well to read this book by flipping back and forth. There are 18 apology poems in the first half of this book and 18 responses in part 2.

Of course the first poem just had to be famous one by William Carlos Williams:

There are some big life themes covered in these poems so that is why I think this book will better suit upper primary and lower secondary readers or classrooms. Topics include bullies; rudeness to a teacher; greed; sibling rivalry; peer group pressure; accidents; euthanizing a pet; and possibly even suicide.

I spied this book in a discard pile in a library and when I enquired about it, I discovered it was considered not really appropriate for the younger readers who use this library. I was curious so I borrowed the book and YES this a poetry book but it is as I said, most certainly for readers aged 10+. This book was published in 2007 so it is now out of print but you might find a copy in a school or local library. You could adapt this book into a reader's theatre performance.

The illustrations created by Pamela Zagarenski are sketched beautifully. In many of the pictures there are newspapers that have been clipped that carry the definitions for apologies and forgiveness.  Name that Poem

The poems touch on many topics which will connect with readers of this age including dysfunctional families, hurting other’s feelings, disobeying, death of a pet, steeling, friendship and sports.  Throughout the book, Sidman incorporates various poetry styles including pantoum (Spelling Bomb), concrete (Dodge Ball Crazy), haiku (Haiku for Carmen) and couplet (Brownies – Oops! and A Waste of Heart). Lindsay Reads

Awards

• Claudia Lewis Poetry Award
• Cybils Poetry Award
• Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Honor Book

I really like the premise of This is just to say. It reminded me of these two books:

The One thing You'd Save

Blurb from author page: The assignment: If you could give someone special in your life a present — just one gift — who would you choose, and what would it be? Discuss. Certain students know their answers right away. A few find their answers more slowly. And while some responses spark lively conversation, others are revealed only in the privacy of journal pages. But all of the choices are as heartfelt as they are unexpected. 

I am now really keen to this book from 2025 by Joyce Sidman and Melissa Sweet:

I have talked about Joyce Sidman previously and also Pamela Zagarenski.

Butterfly eyes

Also check out my post about Beth Krommes and her art

Winter Bees

The Whisper

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:

The One and Only Ivan; The One and Only Bob; The One and Only Ruby; 

The One and Only family

Song of a Thousand Seas

Odder

The Way of Dog

Jasmine Warga recommends this book:

Jasmine Warga is such a talent - her books are all wonderful but also so varied.

A Strange thing Happened at Cherry Hall

A Rover's Story

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