The Dog Who Dared to Dream by Sun-Mi Hwang

The Dog Who Dared to Dream

Sun-Mi Hwang

This South Korean bestseller is a beautiful and poignant fable about a dog named Scraggly; an endearing character whose dreams of family and independence captivated me. Foreboding and loss are adeptly entwined with a gentle humour particularly surrounding Sister-in-Law, the illustrations are simple but effective and this short tale is touching and memorable. If you don't like animal protagonists this may not be for you but I found it enchanting.

Extract
Scraggly whimpered and fell off the embankment into the creek with a splash. The water was cold; snow had fallen earlier in the morning. Scraggly splashed and trod water. She was frozen to the bone and her body felt stiff. 'Help!' She paddled with all her might until she reached dry ground. She rested her head on a pile of dried waterweed and closed her eyes for a while. Her teeth chattered. The man and his bicycle were no longer in sight. Only the darkness and cold wind surrounded her. She waddled up to the road and shook off the water, but she was soaked through. The breeze stung her skin.
Parallels
  • The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly by Sun-Mi Hwang
  • The Salmon Who Dared to Leap Higher by Ahn Do-hyun
  • Jonathan Livingston Seagull: A Story by Richard Bach