Poetry: Mountain Dog

Mountain Dog
by Margarita Engle
Illustrations by Olga and Aleksey Ivanov

Engle, Margarita, Olga Ivanov, and Aleksey Ivanov. Mountain Dog. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, 2014. 9781250044242

Plot Summary

Tony the boy lived in Los Angeles with his mother until she was sent to prison for dog fighting. When the social worker tells Tony that he is going to live with his Tío Leonilo, he's scared; Los Angeles is the only home he's ever known. Tío is a forest ranger on the Pacific Crest Trail and volunteers on the search-and-rescue team to help find lost humans with the help of Gabe, the Trail Angel chocolate lab. Tony the boy finds comfort in Gabe the dog and soon learns what it means to be a Rescue Beast with a Trail Angel of his own. As he battles with his inner turmoil, Tony the boy opens up to the infectious happiness of Gabe the dog and learns that he wants to become a Rescue Beast and maybe even a veterinarian, if he can just overcome the dreaded obstacle of math. Tío, his classmate Gracie, and her grandma B.B. help Tony the boy heal from his trauma and embrace his future on the mountain.

Analysis

Mountain Dog is written as a novel in verse, switching between Tony the boy and Gabe the dog's perspectives. Margarita Engle uses her own experiences with search-and-rescue dogs, immigration, and the dreaded subject of math to create a heartwarming tale about a boy who overcomes his trauma and fears to become something far better than he ever imagined. Though the tale of immigration and foster care may not be relatable to every reader, every reader will be familiar with the sense of loneliness and fear that Tony struggles with throughout this novel. Each time that Tony feels fear or anger, Engle switches perspectives to show that Gabe is sensitive to these feelings and is trying to help Tony overcome them by embracing the wonderful life of work-play and roundness. Gabe the dog's perspective gives the story a happy and warm feeling. As Tony works to leave his past behind him, readers will feel the push and pull of emotions.

Engle's decision to write a novel in verse that switches from one perspective to the other gives this story a sense of roundness, something Gabe the dog would love. Choosing to write the second perspective from Gabe's point of view gives readers a better understanding of the relationship that Tony and Gabe share. If Engle had chosen to write the second perspective from Tío's point of view, the story might not have been as impactful and compelling. This story is all about the relationship between Rescue Beast humans and Trail Angel dogs, and the two perspectives reflect this dynamic. Engle uses sense imagery and figurative language as the poetic elements. Tony the boy's perspective is a vivid portrayal of how he views the world like in the poem Trail Names, "A cold wind shrieks/ like the spirits/ in one of Tío's spooky/ campfire stories." Lines such as these are descriptive and immersive.

Engle includes note at the end of this novel, written from Tony, Gabe, and Luz, that gives readers a guide for "How to Stay Found in the Wonderous Woods". She has also included a note to readers that explains her background with search-and-rescue dogs and a section for a Q & A from her and the two illustrators, Olga and Aleksey Ivanov.

Excerpt

RESCUED!

I'm at a crossroads, a place

where two paths meet.

There aren't any road signs

telling me which trail

will lead toward a future

and which could carry me back

into my past.

Connections

After, or while, children read this novel in verse, set up an outdoor scavenger hunt activity where they can search for "lost" items. To learn navigation, try writing clues for them to follow to locate a specific spot. If there are enough participants, try having them search for and rescue each other by playing a game of hide and seek, where one team of children hides while the other team has to search and find them.

Reviews

One reviewer from Kirkus Reviews stated, "Revealing both Tony's and Gabe's points of view in alternating chapters, the author deftly incorporates a fascinating mix of science, nature (cool facts aplenty) and wilderness lore into a highly accessible narrative that makes room for a celebration of language: "Maybe words / are my strength. / I could turn out to be / a superhero / with secret / syllable powers." The Ivanovs' black-and-white illustrations nimbly reflect the story's tone."

“Mountain Dog.” 2013. Kirkus Reviews, November, 73–74. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.twu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=brd&AN=92575795&site=ehost-live.

Carol Schene, writing for the School Library Journal, stated "Gabe's insights into Tony's struggles and his vividly captured doggy enthusiasm and devotion keep the story upbeat. The bond that develops between the canine and boy makes this book an inspiring read that will be especially believable to dog lovers. Black-and-white drawings appear throughout the story, and these empathetic depictions of the characters, animals, and setting capture the spirit of the text."

Schene, Carol. 2013. “Mountain Dog.” School Library Journal 59 (9): 142. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.twu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=brd&AN=90018513&site=ehost-live.