Marc Simont, The Stray Dog

This funky family is just as cute as the dog. The Stray Dog is simple and fun; no preaching, just a happy ending.

PRAYER OF A STRAY

Dear God, please send me somebody who'll care!

I'm tired of running, I'm sick with despair.

My body is aching, it's so racked with pain

And dear God, I pray, as I run in the rain.

That someone will love me, and give me a home

A warm cozy bed and a big juicy bone.

My last owner tied me all day in the yard,

Sometimes with no water, and God, that was hard!

http://www.angelfire.com/va2/tributetodogs/poems/stray.html

Although this heartfelt poem was written by Bev Davenport, of the Afghan Hound Rescue, it sums up Marc Simont's attitude towards homeless dogs perfectly in his thoughtful twenty-seven page illustrated book, "The Stray Dog" which is based on a true story by Reiko Sassa published by HarperCollins. More specifically, "The Stray Dog" had its origins in 1983, when Mr. Simont heard his friend Reiko Sassa's touching story of adopting a stray dog. Over fifteen years later he has found a way to share the tale, capturing the essence in this appealing picture book.

The etymology of the word "stray" stems from the Old French word "estrai " which is the past participle of "estraier." What does the noun "stray" mean? Merriam-Webster defines "stray" as the following: "A domestic animal that is wandering at large or is lost" which is significant to know if you read this delightful child-friendly picture book which commences with an outdoor family picnic.

The first dialogue spoken is in the form of a question- "What's this? asked the father.

The mother retorts with, "It's a scruffy little dog."

Immediately, the children turn their attention towards the black and white dog ensconced behind the tree and put their barbecue on hold. What do you think happened next? Whenever a dog enters the scene kids automatically respond by playing. That is precisely what they did. The children taught him new tricks with the ball, to sit up, and even gave him the name "Willy." The illustrations include playing catch with, tossing sticks, and chewing on a frisbee. It is obvious that they formed an instantaneous bond with this stray dog that may not be a stray for much longer.

Since the word "belong" is used over five times in this story, it is fairly important to explore this universal feeling of belonging. First, the father refuses to allow his kids to bring Willy home because he may "belong" to another family. Abandoning the dog, they proceed to drive away from their picnic. Sadly, two tiny outstretched hands can be seen reaching out of the red car window as they depart. Secondly, when his daughter says, "Maybe Willy doesn't belong to anybody" the accompanying illustration evinces a yellow, blue, and pink sunset, which fades over a lit up bridge. While cars zoom and barges forge their merry way below the bridge, we are coldly reminded of how Willy was left stranded. Hence, the isolation in the illustration mimics how Willy was obviously feeling. Painted days of the week Monday through Friday, in grayish blackish color, appear on the following pages while each family member (Father, Mother, Son, Daughter-all nameless) appear to be actively reflecting on Willy instead of engaging in their disparate tasks such as cooking, playing sports, etc. Obviously, they missed Willy dearly and were not satisfied with the choice to leave him. Finally on Saturday, they discovered Willy running wildly outside their picnic table! It turns out that a stranger with a net was not only chasing Willy, but he seemed determined to catch him. Naturally, the children joined in this chase until Willy was eventually caught. The dog warden barked-

"He has no collar. He has no leash," said the dog warden. "This dog is a stray. He doesn't belong to anybody."

There is that word "belong" again. Ironically, when the boy took of his belt and offered it up to the dog warden as his collar and the girl took off her hair ribbon and said, "Here's his leash" he had no choice but to return Willy back to his new owners. After all, they claimed that "Willy belongs to us!" And he did. It is interesting to note that when the children are trying to "reclaim" Willy, Simont strategically created two different illustrations. One, is a type of approach-avoidance scenario where the dog warden can be seen leaning forward with all his might while the kids try to approach him. Clearly, he is using his size to intimidate them. Directly under this scenario, the kids are depicted as holding up the belt and ribbon as symbols of ownership. In cinematic terms, this would be called a "split-screen" which is typically a matte shot divided down the center of the shot and is very visually effective.

Michael Korda, once the editor-in-chief of Simon & Schuster remarked, "Success on any major scale requires you to accept responsibility. In the final analysis, the one quality that all successful people have is the ability to take on responsibility." With new ownership comes immediate responsibility as every parent and pet owner knows. Thus, they took on the responsibility of taking care of Willy right way by bringing him home and treating him to a super sudsy bubble bath. Bottles of blue flea and tick remover solution, green towels, and red combs can be seen in the foreground of this colorful illustration while the kids are evinced in the background actively scrubbing Willy and having fun in the tub! Naturally, this would make a perfect commercial. After his bubble bath, the new clean Willy was introduced to the other dogs in the neighborhood such as Greyhounds, Poodles, Dalmatians, and even a Cockerspaniel. Do I hear matchmaking bells? Simont's artistic talents shine through on this double-paged spread as each dog owner is depicted as either posing with his/her dog(s), chasing their dog(s), and playing with their dog(s). In addition, it is a culturally diverse scene. African Americans and Caucasians as well as the young and the old are co-existing in harmony, which is a nice message for children to absorb both visually and philosophically.

The final illustration shows Willy sleeping peacefully in an orange cushion. The text reads:

"And Willy settled in where he belonged."

Given the fact that the bulk of adolescent fiction hinges on the theme of belonging either to a peer group, clique, or club it makes logical sense to use this picture book as a tool to explore this salient motif in terms of identity and belonging. Sometimes grace and simplicity, which are just two of Simont's storytelling virtues, can function as a catalyst to explore the tougher themes in history as well. For example, many immigrants have lamented in their memoirs that they, like Willy, also felt isolated, lost, and alone at times. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, on a psychological level, often times the need to "belong," which is located as the third need after physiological being the first and safety being the second, supersedes these. As a result, a type of desperation frequently kicks in. In this story, we witness Willy both being caught and then set free. First he was a stay dog who later on was adopted. Bondage and freedom are two more thorny themes evoked during slavery as well. This story could also serve as a gentle reminder to be more sensitive towards "stray" animals and others who appear to not "belong" or fit into your preconceived ideas of what it means to be African American, Native American, or Latino/a. Sometimes it takes extra effort to help someone else "belong" to your community, club, or church. Children can benefit from this message early on since so many adults obviously never learned it. As a result, racism, sexism, and other types of scathing stereotypes have caused an enormous amount of psychological damage to those who struggle to be free, fit in, and above all, belong such as immigrants, migrant workers, and others which makes one wonder if it would be better to be a "stray dog" than to be purposely "lead astray" by those deemed as trustworthy. On a more political level, the entire purpose of the Humane Society is to assist "stray" animals such as cats and dogs. Many ARC (Animals Rights Coalition) activists advocate this philosophy-

"In a perfect world, animals would be free to live their lives to the fullest: raising their young, enjoying their native environments, and following their natural instincts. However, domesticated dogs and cats cannot survive "free" in our concrete jungles, so we must take as good care of them as possible. People with the time, money, love, and patience to make a lifetime commitment to an animal can make an enormous difference by adopting from shelters or rescuing animals from a perilous life on the street. But it is also important to stop manufacturing "pets," thereby perpetuating a class of animals forced to rely on humans to survive." Source: PETA pamphlet, Companion Animals: Pets or Prisoners?

Ostensibly, there are pros and cons to this rather radical quote. It is a Catch-22 in many ways. Sure, Willy is free to roam around as a "stray" dog, but does he posses even a morsel of security or a sliver of stability? No. When will his next can of ALPO, dog bone, or even tidbit of meat materialize? Ironically, the first depiction of Willy involves the search for food in the garbage bag. Hence, in Willy's case, I would argue emphatically that he was fortunate enough to be adopted by a kind and loving family. In Mexico, there are so many stray "perros," which means "dog" in Spanish that will never be adopted; they will never belong; and they most likely will die alone.

When you are bored sometime, I cordially invite you to try typing "dog trends" in the YAHOO search engine. Surprisingly you will receive over 200,000 hits! Maybe this isn't surprising to you! Okay, try typing in "dog poems." You should receive 300,000 hits! Speaking of dog poems, many educators are experiencing another type of hit or success with the book "Love That Dog" by Sharon Creech. It is a charming story, written in blue text, about poetry, Walter Dean Myers, and teaching. The mystique that the word "dog" conjures up in this culture is never ending. Fortunately, authors like Sharon Creech and Marc Simont have tapped into this doglike mystery for our amusement and pleasure.

Interestingly enough, Marc Simont illustrated his first children's book in 1939, and since then has provided he pictures for nearly 100 titles, including the 1949 Caldecott Honor Book "The Happy Day," by Ruth Krauss, and Janice May Udry's "A Tree is Nice," winner of the 1957 Caldecott Medal. In addition, he has illustrated such classics as James Thurber's "The 13 Clocks," Karla Kuskin's "The Philharmonic Gets Dressed," and Marjorie Weinman Sharmat's "Nate The Great," as well as his own books, including "The Goose That Almost Got Cooked." Mr. Simont was honored as the "1997 Illustrator of the Year" by the Professional Association of Illustrators in his native Catalonia. Mr. Simont makes his home in West Cornwall, Connecticut, with his wife, Sara, their two dogs, Nita and Lucy, and their cat, Clay.

I located the perfect framework to respond to this picture book. It is Donna Norton's eight solid evaluative questions located in "Using Picture Storybooks to Teach Literary Devices."

Every book review should at least touch on these eight questions and/or elaborate on them with some detail. Here goes

[1.] WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF SHARING THIS BOOK WITH CHILDREN OR RECOMMENDING THAT THEY READ IT?

The purpose of this book is to encourage children to take on the responsibility of caring for a pet. In this case, it was a stray dog. This book can also educate and enlighten both the adolescent and adult audiences due to the universal themes such as belonging, freedom, and ownership.

[2.] IS THE AUTHOR'S STYLE AND LANGUAGE APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN'S INTERESTS AND AGE LEVELS [OR FOR WHATEVER INTENDED PURPOSE]?

Mr. Simont's graceful style and simple language is appropriate for all ages. Since the book is based on a true story its message comes straight from the heart.

[3.] IS CHARACTERIZATION ENHANCED THROUGH THE ILLUSTRATIONS?

Indeed characterization is enhanced through the illustrations especially during the scenes of outdoor family picnics, the discovery of Willy, and the double-paged spread of dog owners enjoying a day in the park. Sometimes the illustrations mimic the mood of the characters. This manifested during the time when they missed Willy. The illustrations depict each family member as being distraught and detached from their tasks. Even without the text, we are able to infer what they are feeling which reinforces the power of the illustration.

[4.] IS THE PLOT ONE THAT WILL APPEAL TO CHILDREN [OR A BROADER AUDIENCE RANGE]?

The plot is easy to follow and will appeal to both children and adults respectively. The plot hinges on an outdoor picnic and the discovery of a stray dog. There are never more than five sentences written on the page. Most of the pages include three sentences or less. Thus, this story affords the beginning reader a successful educational experience as well.

[5.] IS THE THEME WORTHWHILE?

Universal themes such as responsibility, ownership, freedom, and belonging are all worthwhile and educational. People of all ages can easily identify with the thematic content. Another theme to explore is the difference between actively "claiming" versus passively "receiving" items in life.

[6.] DO BOTH TEXT AND ILLUSTRATIONS AVOID STEREOTYPES OF RACE AND SEX?

Both text and illustrations succeed in depicting culturally diverse scenes and clearly steer away from any scathing stereotypes.

[7.] DO THE ILLUSTRATIONS COMPLEMENT THE SETTING, PLOT, AND MOOD OF THE STORY?

The illustrations often augment the mood of the story by expressing what the characters repress especially during their longing for Willy to return. Although they don't lament out loud, given the expression on their faces, it is clear that they are disconsolate. The illustrations take us on a journey from an outdoor sunny afternoon picnic to a long car ride home in which the sky is painted with hues of azure, pink, and yellow. Thus, the illustrations evince the passing of time from day to night. The illustrations also take the reader on a dog chase through the trees. The dog warden chases the dog while the children end up chasing them both until Willy is finally set free.

[8.] ARE THE ILLUSTRATIONS ACCURATE AND DO THEY CORRESPOND TO THE CONTENT OF THE STORY?

Some illustrations in Dr. Seuss books are very colorful, yet absolutely absurd. Kooky creatures appear twisted and images are often distorted. In looking at these illustrations one may feel like they are viewing life through a kaleidoscope while hanging up side down from a chandelier. Still, there are dozens of illustrations in storybooks that are clever and seem to fit the overall mood perfectly. Babette Cole's "Dr. Dog," "Princess Smartypants," and her fabulous fractured fairy tale "Prince Cinders" would all serve as a case in point. Mr. Simont cleverly opens the story with an illustration of a stray dog scrounging around for scraps from the garbage. Next, we see a variety of tame groomed dogs with their owners in a park. This scene is continued on the final pages, which provides a nice visual and thematic continuity. The last page includes the stray dog, know as Willy, sleeping peacefully curled up in a ball on an orange cushion, adjacent to a monogrammed dog dish. Thus, Willy moved from being a homeless dog to finding a safe home. This adoption process is a wonderful way for children to learn about the responsibilities of taking care of stray animals. There isn't one illustration that does not correspond to the content of the story in some manner. The vignettes are carefully chosen and work together to create a cohesive whole. Even the cover illustration can be used to teach the literary device called "foreshadowing" since in the foreground we see Willy chewing on a yellow tennis ball while in the background, the dog warden's back is turned away from us as he holds a colossal dog catching net. Thus, educators can ask students to make predictions as they look at this illustration since it foreshadows an important event, which is the capture and release of Willy.

As I was searching for the perfect conclusion for this book review, I discovered that a delightful creative piece about this very story written by Gaby who is only eight years. Here is a sample-

"I think kids and adults will like this book because this is an interesting book and a little funny. If you like dogs then this book would probably be a good book for you. Also, if you like going on picnics you would probably like this book too. This book kept me guessing because you never knew if the dog was going to come back or not. That is why I thought this was a great book."

Presumably, Mr. Simont would appreciate this pithy three-paragraph review given Gaby's beautiful illustration of Willy. To see it just click on this link below-

http://www.spaghettibookclub.org/review.php3?review_id=2701

I will close now with a dog poem by Elisabeth Lee-

It's not so much the running as the pacing

back and forth before the door,

the scratching of paint, fleas that sting with a humiliating smallness.

And what of dreams?

Running in one's sleep, small whimpers,

tight leashes leading nowhere very far at all.

Circles, circles, three times always

nose to the ground;

holding still for that absent-minded pat, hopelessly affectionate despite sudden inclinations.

Run to the end of the yard and I may yet

jump the fence.

Here are three more poetry/dog/writing websites to explore-

http://www.creekvue.com/poems.html

http://www.angelfire.com/oh/pugrescue/dogpoems.html

http://www.wowschools.net/Split_Shot/archive/volume1/issue2/nonfiction/spork.html