Product Description

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1150690 in Books
• Published on: 1984-04-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 145 pages

From Amazon.com
Dominic is a one-of-a-kind dog. One day this exuberant, restless, freedom-loving fellow decides there isn't enough going on in his neighborhood to satisfy his need for adventure. And off he goes, with an assortment of hats (rakish, dashing, solemn, and martial), his precious piccolo, and a few other things, leaving a note on his door:

Dear Friends, I am leaving rather in a hurry to see more of the world, so I have no time to say goodbye to you individually. I embrace you all and sniff you with love. I don't know when I'll be back. But back I will be. Dominic.

On the road, this curious canine is lighthearted, open to every option, all senses aquiver. It's not long before he encounters a prophetic witch-alligator, (who had "many more teeth than necessary for any ordinary dental purpose"); a catfish who gives him a long, sharp spear that will make him invincible in serious combat; and even the infamous Doomsday Gang, "who robbed, ravaged, cheated, attacked innocent creatures at large and travelers especially, and did all sorts of damaging mischief." Dominic remains undaunted throughout, for "challenges were his delight. Whatever life offered was, this way or that, a test of one's skills, one's faculties; and he enjoyed proving equal to these tests."

As he continues his journey, we find Dominic to be considerate, compassionate, generous, and philosophical. As he ponders the nature of death, the nature of wealth, the role of art in our lives, the nature of good and evil, and the yearning for true love, readers are left with a feeling that life is basically good, and even splendid:

"What a wonderful world!" thought Dominic. "How perfect!" Had it been up to him when things were first made, he wouldn't have made them a whit different. Every leaf was in its proper place. Pebbles, stones, flowers, all were just as they ought to be. Water ran where it should run. They sky was properly blue. All sounds were in tune. Everything had its appropriate smell.

Kids will adore the magical, comical, action-packed adventures of this remarkable dog, and readers of any age will come away from William Steig's Dominic somehow changed. An ALA Notable Book. (Ages 8 and older, and a wonderful read-aloud for younger children) --Karin Snelson

From School Library Journal
Grade 3-5-By William Steig. Dominic, an out-going mutt, sets out on a journey and encounters evil villains, friendly strangers, and a companion for life.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
Told with the sense of delight and mystery that infuses everything this hero thinks about or encounters, the story of Dominic, a dog in search of his fortune, follows Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey model from beginning to end. Young listeners, however, will be captured by Dominic's many adventures. As Dominic, with voracious curiosity, bumbles his way through his journey, he earns great wealth and shares it with each acquaintance he makes along the path. With only the slightest modulation of tone, Peter Thomas enlivens this bevy of characters, including the generous Alligator Witch, the fearsome members of the Doomsday Gang, as well as the lucky creatures Dominic befriends along the way. Thomas's delivery, laden with portent, will delight the youngest listeners, those as innocent, generous and unsuspecting as Dominic himself. T.B. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine