Summary

The Dog Who Followed the Moon is a powerful read for mature reflection on accepting life’s struggles and finding peace in every moment whether joyful or painful.

4-STAR REVIEW: THE DOG WHO FOLLOWED THE MOON by James Norbury

The Description

Publication Date: November 12, 2024

From the international bestselling author and illustrator of Big Panda and Tiny Dragon and The Cat Who Taught Zen comes a beautifully illustrated adult fable of a lost young puppy, the old wolf who rescues her, and their journey to follow the moon—with meditations on friendship, connection, and sacrifice.

Deep in the mountain forests, a young pup named Amaya wanders lost and alone, until an aging wolf rescues her from a terrifying encounter with his vicious pack. To try and reunite Amaya with her parents, the unlikely pair embark on a journey to follow the moon.

Eerie woods, forgotten cities, and other obstacles await Amaya and the Wolf on their adventure. As they make their way through the wilderness, the two learn profound lessons about love, sacrifice, and the importance of embracing change.

Featuring stunning artwork from bestselling author and illustrator James NorburyThe Dog Who Followed the Moon is a moving, poignant reflection on love and loss, grief and growth.

The Review

Author James Norbury describes himself as using spirituality, in particular, Buddhism, to help him through his own life struggles. This gives context to his newest book, The Dog Who Followed the Moon, as the fable resembles a Zen parable.

The story follows a lost puppy who is initially threatened, then saved and guarded by an old wolf—the two journey on with the goal of finding the puppy’s parents. In the process, the puppy remembers something told to him about following the moon, and this makes him pose questions about life to his companion. The scene is set with gloomy surroundings and challenges that seem impossible to the young, naive pup. As miles of bleak terrain is covered, the wolf brings life truths to the discussion: each moment is how life is formed, most are unremarkable, many are painful, but so much is wasted if you only focus on an end goal.

In my own professional experience as a teacher with children between the ages of birth-12, I cannot agree that this is understandable in its intended meaning to anyone younger than 13. The illustrations and text are captivating, yet to a young child, these would create confusion and fear without explicit intervention from an adult. However, this would be an excellent mentor text in a high school setting. The 90 pages could be read quickly with many literary devices to discuss. The themes of resilience and perseverance are often discussed in earlier grades, but it would take a much more mature student to understand the honesty written as the wolf describes sacrifice, loneliness, and acceptance of changing one’s goals when the path ahead is lost. With complete respect, I also suggest a possible audience for this book is someone facing a terminal illness. The wolf’s peaceful acceptance of his last days could help to find the smallest of life’s gifts to the very end.

The Dog Who Followed the Moon is a powerful read for mature reflection on accepting life’s struggles and finding peace in every moment whether joyful or painful.Buy Links

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About The AuthorJames Norbury writes and illustrates all kind of books, the only theme running through them is the creation of worlds where, perhaps, he would like to live. He lives in Swansea, UK, with 7 cats and his wife Ruth.

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REVIEW AUTHOR

Sandy Saucier
Sandy Saucier
I grew up in South Louisiana but have been a Dallas resident for almost 30 years. I taught elementary school for 31 years. Besides reading, I love to cook.

1 COMMENT

  1. This review was right on! This book made me cry and I had to put it down because I was crying so much. But it is brilliant.

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The Dog Who Followed the Moon is a powerful read for mature reflection on accepting life’s struggles and finding peace in every moment whether joyful or painful.4-STAR REVIEW: THE DOG WHO FOLLOWED THE MOON by James Norbury