Waggit's Tale

The author creates a serious and believable world in this story of stray and abandoned dogs fending for themselves. A little white puppy is dumped while playing ball with his owner in a large city park. Terrified and alone, he is rescued by a large black dog, Tazar, leader of a gang of strays. Tazar takes him to their refuge where the puppy is welcomed by a crowd of dogs of different shapes, sizes and personalities, who accept him into their midst and name him Waggit. Now part of a closely-knit community, he is taught survival skills against rival dog gangs, hunger and the dreaded park rangers with their traps and cages. He also learns about respect, tolerance and sharing – qualities that are essential to the community’s wellbeing. Yet, even though he wins the admiration of the gang, there are moments when he longs for the warmth and security of being somebody’s pet.

Realistic in its treatment of the hardships the strays endure, the story is skilfully constructed and well paced, the characters distinctive and varied. Particularly effective is the dialogue between the dogs – spontaneous, colloquial and peppered with an assortment of made-up words that describe the world as they see it. An added bonus is the delicate pencil drawing prefacing and setting the mood to each chapter. Though the cover image gives no inkling of the book’s content, this is a book well worth delving into.