THE ADVENTURES OF BIG DOG: troubles and triumph

About the Book

A Universal Story

Two children, Dirk and Dawn, play with their neighbor’s large dog, named BIG DOG. A dog wish is placed deep into their minds and hearts.

Again and again, they plead with their dad and mom for their own dog at their own home, but the answer is always, “No!”

When the neighbor’s dog comes to their house for a two-day stay, Dirk and Dawn are delighted. They are filled with hope that the dog’s visit will turn the “No!” into a “Yes!”

Within minutes of BIG DOG’s arrival, troubles show up, too. His good nature is never in doubt, but his habits and actions do not help the children’s cause.

Their hope for their very own dog dims as the troubles mount, but they do not give up. One hour before BIG DOG is to return to his own house, he performs an extraordinary feat – a kind of miracle.

What troubles did BIG DOG cause? How did BIG DOG become a hero? Would Dad and Mom change their minds? Will the children’s hope for their own dog become a triumph?

About the Author

Grandpa Don Draayer has loved dogs his whole life, beginning as a farmer’s son, and including his years as a parent of two children, Dirk and Dawn, and grandpa to five children, to whom he told dog stories at bedtime, on camping trips, and during long car journeys. This particular story like most of his dog stories is based partially on fact and considerably on imagination. Dr. Draayer’s educational career spans 54 years. He earned his doctorate in school administration from the University of Illinois and served for eight years in elementary, middle, and high school principal positions before becoming Minnetonka School District Superintendent for a 24 year period. In 1990 he was honored as the National Superintendent of the Year by American Association of School Superintendents. He and his wife, Mary Anne, live in Minnetonka, Minnesota, where he writes books, articles, and pamphlets on a wide variety of subjects and is an active volunteer in church, school, and community life. Alan (Al) Tollefson was born and raised in Excelsior, Minnesota. Al’s father was a commercial artist and cartoonist. Like his father, Al began drawing at an early age and continued throughout his 40 plus years in commercial art and advertising. Children’s books have become one of his favorite pastimes. To date, he has created 12 Children’s books and, along with his son Adam, has finished the writing and gone on to illustrate them. “My wife Martha and I have raised four boys and over the years I’ve enjoyed telling the family stories around the campfire. Many of those stories have inspired the books we’ve created today.”