Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Canine companions

 Wendy Tokuda and Richard Hall (authors)
Kern Okasaki Sasaki (illutrator)
Shiro in Love: A True Story
Heian, 1989
Pamela S. Turner (author)
 Yan Nascimbene (illustrator)
Hachiko: The True Story of a Loyal Dog

  Here are two stories of remarkable dogs in Japan. After being rescued from a dump, Shiro began commuting in the mid-1980s from the tropical island of Aka to a neighboring island, Zamami, to visit his doggy sweetie, Marilyn. She must have been irresistible (like her namesake?), for Shiro swam two miles to see her, only later figuring out that he could take the ferry service.
  In the mid-1920s, Hachiko could be found waiting patiently between the morning and evening commutes at Shibuya Station for his master, Dr. Ueno. Even after Dr. Ueno's death in 1925, Hachiko continued to wait, earning him so much admiration that people came to Shibuya just to pet him. Only Hachiko's death brought his vigil to an end. Travelers to Shibuya Station now arrange to meet at "Hachiko," a bronze likeness commemorating this dog's remarkable loyalty. Yan Nascimbene's woodblock print-inspired illustrations alternate delicate and sensitive images of Hachiko with larger pictures of humans and their built environment, underscoring the special relationship between species at the heart of this book.

1 comment:

  1. Sweet! We'll have to get these to satisfy our dog obsession.

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