I'd love to have a dog but cannot, so I draw them instead. Dogs feature in the three books I'm currently working on. There's a small dog with those little eyebrows that dogs sometimes have in The Little White Sprite. In the story, it's the dog who sees the boy disapppear through a hole in an old hollow tree. And it's the dog who is able to call him back to 'where he belongs' - back to his family.
Now I'm beginning to think of another story and another dog- one that manages to undo all the hardwork of two boys. I think it will have to be one of those sharp nosed whispy dogs, though I do like this little terrier called Buttons:
Lovely dog drawings Gillian... I especially like the one suckling all the puppies! I don't have a dog either, but most years we have a fox family (complete with cubs) living in the back garden. I'm always impressed with what a good mum the fox mother is... and what hard work it is for her (this spring she had six babies, all of whom seemed to survive and thrive, as far as we could tell.) I remember watching her suckle the six cubs when they'd got so big that she was almost lifted off the ground by them! Just a little memory that your drawings sparked... I look forward to seeing your dog-related books when they come out!
ReplyDeleteWatching the fox family in your garden sounds a magical experience. I wonder whether it will spark a story. I've only ever had bad fox experiences - because I used to keep hens...
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