by Moe Zilla

Created on: March 11, 2010

It's not the story you're expecting - but it does have a very funny dog. In fact, "The Dog Who Cried Wolf" opens with special thanks to "the real Moka...the pet dog of my friends. His lively personality was the inspiration for the book." It's nice knowing that behind the book's cute illustrations, somewhere there's a real dog. And in the first illustration Moka is even reading a book - while he wags his tail and smiles!

It's that book which causes the trouble, since the little girl reading it notices that Moka looks a lot like a wolf. Moka starts to wonder if he hadn't failed to live up to his potential. There's illustrations of what real wolves do - like confronting wild boars and howling freely at the moon. Now Moka "felt like a failure, especially when Michelle made him dress up for her tea parties.

"He wanted to be a wolf."

Author-illustrator Kieko Kasza uses pictures to reveal the dog's personality - which is part of the fun of a children's book. Moka looks bewildered by the information about real wolves, and exasperated when Michelle tugs on his leash. One drawing even shows what happens whenever Moka howls at the moon. (Little Michelle tells him the shush!) And when Michelle dresses him up for a tea party, his expression definitely looks uncomfortable.

But the illustrations also capture the dog's personality in his the way the dog moves. He's panting happily as he runs away to the mountains. There's a joyful liberation as he stretches his paws and leaps after a butterfly. His tail wages as he taps his paws and dances in celebration. There's even an illustration of the dog lifting his leg, as Kasza adds that "he peed wherever he wanted."

The book's set up its premise, and then it lets the reader enjoy it. Moka's attempts to hunt for food meet with nothing but failure. A rabbit outruns him, and he gets sprayed by a skunk. There's even a drawing of a beetle pinching his nose, and the poor dog getting teased by a tricky field mouse. And as the dog's fortune turn sour, the book's light colors turn dark blue as night descends on the forest.

The lonely dog trudges under a full moon up a hill with long shadows. But there's still one last lesson he needs to experience. Moka howls at the moon just to see what it feels like. And he suddenly hears other wolves in the mountains, responding to his howl.

And the frightened dog turns around, and rushes back home!

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