The language is so alive that it will certainly make a wonderful read aloud. It’s a book that is heartbreaking yet equally heartwarming, and it has been written with a great deal of care and compassion.

22 reviews A fiercely original verse novel from the ABIA and CBCA award-winning author of The Bone Sparrow.

Don’t be surprised if you find yourself a little misty-eyed as you are reading this one. The Way of Dog by Zana Fraillon(Goodreads Author) 4.66 Sean Buckingham provides beautiful illustrations of the wiry little hound and his world. This book has a timeless quality that feels like the work of Kate DiCamillo. The Way of Dog is a verse novel, and the language used is entirely unique but always delivered with clarity. In 2017 Fraillon won our Young Adult prize for The Bone Sparrow. Many readers will already be familiar with Zana Fraillon’s much lauded books. He’s learning what it is to be a little dog alive in a world of danger and beauty! As his story progresses, little Scruffity encounters many more people and other animals – some friendly, some sly, some kind and some cold. Separated from his mother he longs for happiness and a family. M H Alessandrino is a Perth-based writer and a freelance reviewer.A little pup in a cage in a barn is at the very beginning of his life. With The Way of Dog Fraillon has created a moving story that will speak to anyone who has had an animal choose them as their human. Accompanied by illustrations from Sean Buckingham, this story is best suited to readers aged nine and up and will appeal to fans of Steven Herrick’s verse novels, especially Zoe, Max and the Bicycle Bus, which also marries poetry and narrative to convey strong emotions and themes. The narrative unfolds through the unique perspective of Scruffity, and the use of verse connects the reader to the way he sees and processes the world while also driving the story forward with its rhythmic quality. Fraillon’s novel explores both the kindness and cruelties that exist in a complicated world, telling a story of tragedy and loss, but also of hope. When they are tragically separated along the way, Scruffity is left to go on alone, forging his own unique path as he follows his instincts and ‘the way of dog’ to survive. Together they escape horrors and embark on a treacherous journey. When he meets a young boy dealing with his own loss, Scruffity claims him as his ‘manpup’ and the two forge a strong bond, giving each other the identity and family they long for. Separated from mother and siblings, he survives through his desire to belong and the belief that there is more to the world than fear and concrete floors. Scruffity is born into the harsh realities of a puppy farm. A beautifully written verse novel told through an animal voice, this is an ambitious and absorbing work.

Way of Dog is the latest work from internationally acclaimed author Zana Fraillon.

The way of dog zana fraillon