Dimensions
130 x 197 x 11mm
Children's author Jackie French is renowned for her historical fiction, and the critically acclaimed best-selling Animal Stars series looks at history through the eyes of an animal. In DINGO: THE DOG WHO CONQUERED A CONTINENT, Jackie tells a story about the iconic Australian dingo.
Set somewhere on a large island to the north of what would one day be known as Australia, Loa decides to leave his community after learning that the girl he wants is to marry a man from another tribe. Taking his canoe and survival gear, Loa heads off across the sea. He also takes with him a 'rubbish dog' - one of the pack who scavenge for at the camp. It's a pragmatic decision, not a desire for companionship, as the dog can be fed to sharks or crocodiles as a decoy, or, as a last resort, serve as food for Loa himself.
Driven out to sea by currents and winds, Loa eventually lands on an unknown shore. There seem to be no other people, but when the dog has puppies Loa and the dog forge a bond based on their mutual need to survive - the dog needs someone to protect her and her pups, and Loa discovers that hunting with a dog is far more effective than hunting alone. So there is collaboration, and also companionship.
And when Loa eventually finds a new tribe to join, the dog goes with him.
Ages: 9-13
