The Sand Dog

Grandfather had been gone for two years but I never thought it would be an ordinary day he’d come back, like a Monday or a Tuesday... I always knew he’d return across the water, triumphing over a few monsters on the way, I just didn’t know when...

What would you do if you were allergic but really wanted a dog? In this whimsical picture book, a young girl uses her crafty nature and imagination to create four-legged friends each season as the weather changes. She builds a dog out of snow in winter, sand in summer, leaves in fall, and flowers in spring!

The “heartbreaking . . . deeply-moving” story of the heroic crusade to save Puerto Rico’s stray dogs, and an impassioned appeal to help all animals in need (Daily Mail). Looking for inspiration and adventure in their lives, Steve McGarva and his wife Pam moved to Puerto Rico. While kite surfing at Playa Lucia, Steve made a shocking discovery—a sick and abandoned dog—that would transform his life. With its shimmering white sand, palm trees, and dazzling azure water, the beach looked postcard perfect. But its beauty hid a dark side: To the locals, this slice of paradise was known as Dead Dog Beach—a notorious dumping ground for the island’s unwanted canines. Considered a threat to the area’s lucrative tourism industry, these defenseless animals were in constant danger of brutality and death. Enraged, and refusing to accept such cruelty, McGarva began protecting these helpless animals—actions that would jeopardize his marriage, challenge his sanity, and make him a target of locals determined to stop him. The Rescue at Dead Dog Beach is the story of Steve’s fearless dedication to hundreds of dogs, and his efforts to expose their systemic abuse. Exposing the true costs of the tourist industry, it is also a call to arms for animal lovers, offering insights and practical information to help strays anywhere in the world. “Stephen McGarva moved to Puerto Rico in search of sun and fun. What he found was a new purpose: saving the island’s abandoned dogs.” —People “This is an amazing story.” —Ellen DeGeneres

Emily Elizabeth and Clifford go to the beach to play in the sand, swim in the ocean and have a good time with Nina and Jorgé.

In “The People of Sand and Slag,” a Hugo and Nebula Award-nominated short story, Paolo Bacigalupi weaves a tale about the lives of three technologically modified guards, their barren, heavily mined landscape, and a chance encounter with a creature rare for their time period – a dog. What starts off as a hunt for an enemy ends up as a story of empathy, and what it means to be human. “The People of Sand and Slag” was nominated for the 2005 Hugo Award for Best Novelette, and the 2006 Nebula Award for Best Novelette. It was featured in Gardner Dozois’s “Year’s Best SF” Twenty-Second Edition, Jonathan Strahan’s “Best SF of the Year” 2004 Edition, and in John Joseph Adams’ “Wastelands” Anthology in 2008. Reviews: “A difficult and touching story, which steps pretty far outside the box to examine our relationship to pets, and to nature. At every stage, Bacigalupi gets it right.” --- Internet Review of Science Fiction “Bacigalupi posits a future where humanity has adapted itself to living in a hostile environment. ... There is plenty of techie stuff entwined with the premise itself to satisfy the hardest of hard sf readers, but the main attraction of this story is the faint hope that those parts of us that can accept the "other" might still exist in a world where self-preservation and survival come first.” --- Tangent Online

A gorgeous gift book or self-purchase for dog lovers.

Publisher Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE 2023 CALDECOTT MEDAL • This glowing and playful picture book features an overheated—and overwhelmed—pup who finds his calm with some sea, sand, and fresh air. Destined to become a classic! NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post • Publishers Weekly • Kirkus Reviews • New York Public Library “An utter joy from beginning to end!” —Sophie Blackall, two-time Caldecott Medal winner This hot dog has had enough of summer in the city! Enough of sizzling sidewalks, enough of wailing sirens, enough of people's feet right in his face. When he plops down in the middle of a crosswalk, his owner endeavors to get him the breath of fresh air he needs. She hails a taxi, hops a train, and ferries out to the beach. Here, a pup can run! With fluid art and lyrical text that have the soothing effect of waves on sand, award-winning author Doug Salati shows us how to find calm and carry it back with us so we can appreciate the small joys in a day.

When three bodies wash up on the beach of a remote island, the locals must decide whether they should uncover the truth or let the mystery die with the victims. Nestled in an overlooked part of the Mediterranean, Dog Island is home to a quiet and untouched community that has long lived off its fishing, its vines, and its olive trees, far away from the turmoil its neighbors. But when the bodies of three unidentified men wash up on the beach, the witnesses are faced with an impossible decision: report the discovery and open up the island to grisly inquiries, or conceal the terrible truth? Resolving to preserve their way of life, the mayor and a small group of conspirators resolve on a cover-up. But after they dispose of the evidence, their act of deception continues to haunt them, bringing waves of suspicion and misfortune to the island. A detective arrives from the mainland, making their secret even harder to keep and threatening to destroy the very community they tried so hard to protect. With the blend of suspense, keep observation, and wit that has made Philippe Claudel’s books international bestsellers, Dog Island challenges our deepest assumptions about ourselves and offers a fierce and tragic fable for our times.

Take a visual journey of seashore vistas with man's and woman's best friend. From playful puppies to mature companions, dogs celebrate sand and surf through their joyful antics and explorations. BALOTESCU 's photographs capture the magic of nature's two finest creations...stunning seascapes and carefree canines.