A Dog's Tale: The Story of a Little Dog with a Big Imagination

With the spirit of an explorer and the heart of a dreamer, One-Eyed Patch is not just any ordinary pug – he is an adventurer of the high seas, a fearless rat-catcher (even more impressive when you see how big those rats are!), and a legend in the making. At least, that’s how he tells it. Kiko’s narrative is a playful and exuberant journey into the boundless world of imagination, where the everyday transforms into the extraordinary.

Lost at sea after a storm, Patch is saved by a ‘kind soul’, a great whale who shares the secrets of the deep. From there, he finds himself in a kingdom of ‘towering green castles’, playing alongside its joyful inhabitants before embarking on yet another daring escape – this time by air in what is a vibrant, richly colourful spread of birds taking flight carrying one pug in a basket. But as the adventure reaches its climax, a familiar voice calls him back – his beloved owner, Lily, gently grounding him from his larger-than-life daydreams. Keen observers will note in her room subtle nods to Patch’s dream-encounters – a little addition that I loved.

Kiko’s artwork is brimming with energy, its graphic-novel-inspired compositions lending momentum to Patch’s wild storytelling. There’s a touch of Tintin in the way the illustrations embrace movement, colour, and a cinematic sense of framing, reinforcing the thrill of discovery at every turn. The visual storytelling expertly shifts between Patch’s imagined feats and his more modest reality, inviting readers to delight in the unreliable narration of a dog who dreams BIG.

This is a book that revels in the power of storytelling and self-invention. For readers who love a tall tale (or a wagging one), A Dog’s Tale is a joyful reminder that sometimes the best adventures exist in the space between reality and imagination.