Gr 3-5-By William Steig. Dominic, an out-going mutt, sets out on a journey and encounters evil villains, friendly strangers, and a companion for life.

William Steig has created an engaging hero, a dog with a heart of gold, nerves of steel, and the varied talents of Renaissance Man. Dominic sallies forth to see the world and to earn gratitude and acclaim for his generosity, his courage, and his prowess at absolutely everything to which he turns his paw—including the foiling of a dastardly troop of villains who have been preying on the community . . . A good story for reading aloud.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

“A likely candidate for classic status.” —Selma G. Lanes, Harper's

Told with the sense of delight and mystery that infuses everything this hero thinks about or encounters, the story of Dominic, a dog in search of his fortune, follows Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey model from beginning to end. Young listeners, however, will be captured by Dominic’s many adventures. As Dominic, with voracious curiosity, bumbles his way through his journey, he earns great wealth and shares it with each acquaintance he makes along the path. With only the slightest modulation of tone, Peter Thomas enlivens this bevy of characters, including the generous Alligator Witch, the fearsome members of the Doomsday Gang, as well as the lucky creatures Dominic befriends along the way. Thomas’s delivery, laden with portent, will delight the youngest listeners, those as innocent, generous and unsuspecting as Dominic himself. T.B. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine