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Margaret Mahy’s work: Dashing Dog
Margaret Mahy was a librarian and children’s book writer from New Zealand. “Dashing Dog” one of many of Mahy’s published works, is a simple and quite joyful story in rhyme that makes great use of consonance in her short poetic phrases.
Her use of consonants DD and CC work well with this poem / story. She makes up rhyming phrases like floundery / drowndery, and sandified / dapper and dandified, glorious, gallant, and grandified; that serve to add to the wit and light-heartedness of the story.
This tale is about an excited dog’s day out with the family, leading to many misadventures. Some include: a run-in with sea gulls who get the best of him; a game of Frisbee ending in a multiple dog chase; and treeing a cat, while falling into a brier rose bush.
When the family baby (Betty), walks off the end of the jetty (pier), it’s Dashing Dog to the rescue. He jumps into the water, grabs the baby by her clothes, and carries her to the safety of her family, who have all jumped into the water to try to reach Betty. Dashing Dog’s day out ends with him happy, healthy, and soaked to the gills; but very much loved by his family.
Sarah Garland, a writer and Illustrator of over fifty books does the illustrations for this story. On the title page is a cameo-like round framed illustration of Dashing Dog.
