Dominic — William Steig

On the first page Dominic, a piccolo-playing hound dog announces to his friends that he is leaving in rather a hurry to see more of the world. And off he goes to wherever the road will take him, all five of his senses--most especially his nose--thrilling to whatever life holds in store. By the third page he has already met an alligator-witch, and as his odyssey progresses he comes to the aid of a multitude of delightful animals. Dominic meets and befriends a centenarian pig named Bartholomew Badger, who leaves him his fortune in pearls; a wholesome goose named Matilda Fox and her darling ducklings; Barney Swain, a boar whose wedding he attends; and the dog, Evelyn, a Sleeping Beauty in an enchanted garden.

But all along his way lurk the Doomsday gang, the worst imaginable conglomeration of furry villains a dog is likely to encounter. Yet, also all along the way, Dominic finds moments over which to howl for joy at the beauty of it all.