Wind-Wild Dog

I purchased this primarily for the artwork after seeing it at a local library where I take my therapy dog. The artwork is wonderful (as is the story).

Almost from the moment she is born, Ziva yearns to run wild with the wind. Yet, even though her mother is a sled dog, no one wants the one blue-eyed, one brown-eyed puppy: "Two-color eyes spooked most mushers. They said it made a dog half-wild." IT seemed like fate conspired against her; the longer she stayed, chained to her kennel, the more skittish she became. The wild dog prophecy seemed to come true. This beautifully written book tells how Ziva became a sled dog, through the trust, understanding, and training skill of "The Man," a musher who knows the ways of dogs. Almost Zen-like, he knew that he could never master the dog or force it do something against its will, Instead, he lets the dog be herself, skillfully shaping her desire to run, chase, and belong (as well as to eat!) into sled dog behaviors. The man turns his back to the chained dog, and waits patiently for her to approach and sniff him. He treats Ziva with respect and deference, modeling his acceptance of her for his other pack dogs. And one night, towards the end of her training, he frees her completely from her ties, letting her run wild into the night, far away from him. Will she return to the Man and the pack? The narrative builds the developing Man-dog relationship with memorable images and details, usually with an atmosphere of mystery and suspense: "Still, sometimes at night, when the wind carried the song of the wolves, Ziva wanted to run wild. She tore at the snow to get away, but the chain held her back. Those mornings, the Man saw the mounded snow and understood. A day would come when Ziva would have to choose." Ziva's first day as a sled dog is described with authentic terms that heighten the realism and excitement. Like a football team, each member of the long line of dogs has a position suited to its talents, personality, and position within the pack hierarchy. There's the lead dog, the skookum dog, and the wheel dogs. Fortunately, a glossary explains these and other new words. Illustrator Kate Kiesler's oil paintings capture Alaska's rugged beauty, and she infuses the snowy landscape with superb hints of color and texture: The dark tawny shades of the dogs' fur and the purplish shadows pf the sled team, the lacing of the Man's boots, the glow of a campfire--even the energy of the wind and the bounding, newly freed Ziva. When Ziva returns to the campfire and receives the Man's embrace, you can almost smell the cold, taste the Man's coffee (hot cocoa?), and feel the huddled warmth of her sled mates. This is a superb book, written in that poetic style that makes great readers and dramatists of any adult reader. You can whisper certain passages, lengthen the suspense, merge with the excitement, hold onto the tender conclusion. For classroom use, Wild Wind Dog may be used to explore environmental science, animal behavior, vocabulary, and culture. The oils will undoubtedly inspire similar drawings of the high mountains, and the beautiful dogs, In any setting,