As I’ve written before, my dad has read Mr. Dog’s Christmas to me every Christmas Eve since I was two years old. I don’t remember those very early readings, of course. In fact, I don’t have recollections of Christmas until my sixth—a Christmas that’s immortalized in my family for an incident that ended with me being sent to my room. It’s also the Christmas that marked my transition from believer to playing-along-er. One of many magical Christmases past. “My parents heartily encouraged believing. They went all out to make Christmas a truly magical experience. Among the many weird and wonderful rituals they established was the burning of the wish list.” By my sixth year I was beginning to explore the...

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As channeled to Henry and Betsy Cordes by Albert Bigelow Paine One night, in the House of Many Windows, when the Little Ladies were all snug in their beds, their mother came into the drawing room to sit by the fire with the Storyteller. “I wonder,” she mused aloud, “whether the folks at the Hollow Tree Inn ever have a little night cap?” “Well,” said the Storyteller, “I’m fairly certain they must. Have I ever told you the story about Mr. Dog introducing them to the fine art of cocktail mixology?” “Why no,” she chuckled, “I don’t believe you have. It sounds delightful. Why don’t I pour us both a sip of brandy and we can sit here together for...

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Pen-and-ink illustration is an extraordinarily versatile technique with a long and storied history. While artists use pen-and-ink for everything from fine art to political cartoons, many of the most enduring examples come to us in children’s books. It seems there’s something about the technique that lends itself to exploring the deep and often surreal realm of the child’s imagination. I spoke with our extraordinary illustrator, Adam McCauley, about his use of crow quill pen-and-ink for Mr. Dog. Adam McCauley, 2014. Two of the major sources of inspiration McCauley mentioned were John Tenniel and Maurice Sendak. Both used pen-and-ink to tremendous effect, but with contrasting styles. Tenniel’s illustrations for “Alice in Wonderland” have loose lines, and a more spare effect that...

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Why is Mr. Dog so gosh-durn charming? It’s a question we’ve been gnawing on for years now. We’ve decided it must have something to do with his sly, dashing personality. In that regard he has a number of legendary ancestors, and quite a rich lineage of descendants. From Reynard the Fox, whose fables entertained for generations during the early middle ages, to Tom Sawyer; to the Cheshire Cat; the loveable rogue is an enduring archetype found in great stories since time immemorial. Here for your nostalgic pleasure are seven excellent loveable rogues you may recall from childhood. RATTY Remember The Wind in the Willows, with Toad and Mole and Badger? Their friend Ratty was actually not a rat, but a...

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Halloween Greetings, dear readers! I’m delighted to be back, kicking off our fourth year of festivities with Mr. Dog! It’s been a wonderful whirlwind since our thrilling Kickstarter launch back in 2014. Each new holiday season brings lots of inspiration, rekindling my dream of sharing this beloved Christmas story with an even wider audience.   We have some fun new things up our sleeves this year, including… recipes for craft cocktails and savory snacks worthy of a Hollow Tree celebration, an all-new read-aloud advent calendar (Do you have a furry friend or two in your home? We have a fun new idea and will invite your participation. Stay tuned for details!), our first-ever Gift Guide (everything one needs for a...

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