Desert Dog — Tony Johnston

"I'm a desert dog, a desert dog. / I work from sun to sun. / I'm a skinny dog, as tough as wire. / I own myself alone." In a voice as old and earthy as desert rock, a gruff, hard-working canine tells his tale of a day spent herding goats. From the moment "Dawn Boy walks along the hills" until the moon rises in a night as "black as Raven's wing," he watches over the herd with his boy companion. No cute, storybook pup, this is a flesh-and-blood dog who howls his story to the moon and can "show a lizard who is boss." Tony Johnston's lyrical text and Robert Weatherford's powerful paintings bring dog and boy and desert vividly to life. Tony Johnston is the author of more than one hundred books for young readers, including Desert Song, illustrated by Ed Young. Tony's body of work has received high praise from reviewers and many prestigious awards. She makes her home in San Marino, California. Robert Weatherford is a fine-art painter whose work is exhibited widely throughout the West. A longtime resident of Telluride, Colorado, he currently makes his home in the Hollywood Hills. Desert Dog is his first book for young readers.