The Mr. Dog Blog

It always makes us so happy to hear from folks who love “Mr. Dog’s Christmas at the Hollow Tree Inn.” Every now and then, we even hear from readers who have their own personal history with Albert Bigelow Paine's tale. To know that our new edition of Paine's story, with Adam's illustrations, honors their cherished childhood memories and family traditions is a source of great pride and joy.

Most recently, we heard from a father and his grown son…

Randy B: “It was a great pleasure for me when my son recently brought me a copy of your magnificent printing of “Mr. Dog’s Christmas at the Hollow Tree Inn.”  This is a tradition in our family, [...] something that has characterized Christmas Eve for us over a long span of time. I send you and your family my most sincere thanks for this well conceived and beautifully executed project.”

Ran B: “You have already heard from my father, who was so excited when I showed him your book, but now that I have ordered copies two and three to be sure all of my kids will have their own one day, I wanted to add a quick note to say how pleased we all are at the wonderful efforts you have made to rescue this lovely story from obscurity and revive it. The book you have assembled is beautifully designed, set, and illustrated, and I hope that it finds broad commercial appeal. I’ve either listened to, or read this story every Christmas Eve of my life, and it delights me to know others out there treasure it, too.”

We’ve even received enthusiastic reviews from Paine’s very own descendents!

Charlotte C: “A friend recently told me about your project and I am writing to introduce myself. Albert Bigelow Paine was my great-grandfather and, needless to say, I also grew up with the Hollow Tree Stories!  My grandmother was the "Little Lady" and the magic of those stories was very much part of my upbringing.  I'm delighted to know that the stories are being rediscovered and that you are working to breathe new life into them.  I hope that a new generation will discover this world, too, and that Mr. Dog and his friends will continue to live on.”

Sometimes, folks discover our edition of the story as a happy accident, as did Phyllis M. She stumbled across our edition while searching for a used copy of the book she remembered from childhood:

Phyllis M: “[Paine’s story] is a childhood favorite [that] my Mother used to read to us. I went online [thinking] I would be able to find an old used copy... So excited [to find your new edition]! Thank you!

Iris H: “My whole family was delighted to discover there are other Mr. Dog lovers in the world. We had the same family tradition on Christmas Eve. Thanks for keeping Mr. Dog and the all the Deep Woods folk alive for future generations.”

And Nancy B wrote to say:

"My daughter just gave me a copy [of your book, Mr. Dog’s Christmas at the Hollow Tree Inn.] She had been looking for [this story] for years, [as I’ve often recalled my memories of it to her.] I remember climbing up on my mom’s lap, as a small child in the 50s, snuggling in and asking her to read it again and again (even in the middle of the hot summer in Park City, Utah!). She always did, sometimes as many as three or four times in a row. Then I would ask her to read it again. My favorite story of all time. Tonight, I read it to my almost 40-year-old daughter, her dad, and her husband, stopping to wipe away my tears many times, remembering that special bond between me and my mom. Thank you!"

Each and every one of your stories is so special to us. We started this project because of our family’s long-standing tradition of reading Paine’s story every year on Christmas Eve. We wanted to bring that joy to new generations. Never did we expect to find other families just like ours, who have loved the story of Mr. Dog and his friends for decades. Publishing and promoting a book is hard work, but it’s your stories and encouragement that ground us in the positive and remind us why this project is so special. So we just want to say a big THANK YOU to each and every one of you reading this for supporting Mr. Dog.

Did you meet Mr. Dog and his friends through our edition, or have you known the Hollow Tree folks for a long time? Tell us your story in the comments, or by emailing us!
 

Christmas 2016 is now far behind us. It’s sad, but true. The spirit of Christmas though—the values of joy, generosity, and spending quality time with loved ones—that’s something worth keeping alive all year long. So today we wanted to share some ideas to keep your Christmas cheer burning bright in the new year.

Get a present for yourself
Did you get everything you ever wanted this Christmas? As an adult, the gift-giving aspect of Christmas ramps up considerably and the gift-receiving…. Well, shall we say it tapers a little? So get yourself something no one thought of, like a book you’ve had your eye on, or maybe one of the awesome classes over at Creativebug. (Like Mr. Crow with his extra large stocking, you can make—and give yourself—exactly what you want!)

Call up a friend
Sometimes the house can feel a little cold after Christmas when all those loved ones leave (even if they can stay that whole Christmas week, as the Hollow Tree friends do). So call up a friend, maybe one you haven’t connected with in a while, and brighten up the day for both of you.

Warm up with a winter cocktail
Christmas may be over, but the cold weather has just begun. Here’s a recipe for a great twist on a hot toddy from Jess Donaldson @rarebirdsweets that uses gin instead of whiskey or brandy. It’s medicinal!

Enjoy this warm and spicy hot toddy, sure to keep spirits bright! Photo © Jess Donaldson / Rare Bird Sweets

Spread the warmth
Right around now, your city’s homeless population would really appreciate any coats, blankets, and sleeping bags that you don’t use any more. Your local shelter can tell you the best way to donate.

Listen to the Mr. Dog Podcast
If your family loves Mr. Dog’s Christmas at the Hollow Tree Inn, we think you’ll be fans of the Mr. Dog Podcast too! The first episode’s story occurs just after new year’s, so now’s a great time to get started—and the stories follow the animal friends all through the year, so there’s plenty of wonderful listening material for all seasons. (Stay tuned for a few new episodes later this year!)

We’d love to hear from you. What do you do to share Christmas-y joy, generosity, and togetherness all year long?

Sometimes I question whether the work I’ve chosen is worthwhile, important, valuable. Mr. Dog's Christmas at the Hollow Tree Inn being part of the work I do, and this time of year being “Mr. Dog High Season,” and things being the way they've been lately, the worthiness question has been on my mind this week.

I started this project to share a story that is very simple but profoundly meaningful to me. In that sense, Mr. Dog feels like my artwork, even though I’m neither the author nor the illustrator. Despite those lofty creative feelings, there have been many days since I started the project, over three years ago, that I’ve questioned the value of my efforts. There are things happening out there in the world that demand our attention—injustices and inequalities abound, many of them so painful I can barely look or listen to the news. I argue with myself that what I’ve chosen to do with my time is frivolous, when these urgent humanitarian and environmental crises cry out, “All hands on deck!” 

What possible import could a 100+ year old children’s story about a dog who plays Santa Claus have, in the face of this greater work that needs to be done? This week, I’ve faced that question yet again and I’ve found myself arriving at an answer that renews my sense of purpose. Here’s what I’ve been thinking…

We grow up listening to stories. At some point, we begin sharing them ourselves—stories we enjoy and sometimes even stories we’ve created ourselves. The stories that endure for us say something about our fundamental values, about what we hold most dear. For that reason alone, they are not frivolous at all. In fact, they can be a form of shared language, speaking for us across divides and helping us find common ground.

“Mr. Dog” pulls at my heart because it speaks of friendship, playfulness, creativity, ingenuity, devotion, kindness, generosity, and gratitude. These are qualities I try to cultivate in all my interactions, with both friends and strangers, in good times and in bad. My family’s 75+ year tradition with Mr. Dog has been a touchstone, something we unite around to remind us of how simple our true needs are, how much we have to share, and how much we love and appreciate one another despite the difficulties and differences that crop up between us throughout the year. So yes, it’s entertainment—just a silly children’s story—and yet, it’s so much more. 

I feel so grateful each time I hear from another one of you who loves the story. If I know nothing more about you, I suspect that our shared appreciation for Paine’s story says a great deal about what we have in common, about what inspires and unites us. That feels very important indeed.

Though I grew up loving Albert Bigelow Paine’s “Christmas at the Hollow Tree Inn,” it wasn’t until later in life that I learned of the existence of three volumes of Hollow Tree stories, a generous series featuring all the familiar characters from the Christmas tale—and many, many more.

As I became familiar with Paine's series, I was a little surprised to learn that Mr. Dog wasn’t always on such great terms with the Hollow Tree folks. If you only know Mr. Dog and friends through our book, you’re kind of in the same boat I was. Maybe you’ve wondered about that line “You see, Mr. Dog liked them all now…”. It certainly gives a clue that there’s a backstory, doesn’t it? Well, of course, Paine set it all up beautifully in the many stories that preceded “Christmas at the Hollow Tree Inn” and they are well worth a read.

My hope is to someday republish a few more of them, each as an individual volume, to join the Christmas story in a beautiful slipcovered Hollow Tree Treasury (I dream big!). Until then, though, the magic of 21st century technology gives us an opportunity to share them with you another way…. Introducing: The Mr. Dog Podcast!

Victorian dog joins the digital revolution! You'll find the Mr. Dog Podcast on iTunes and here on our podcast page. Join us each week for a new episode!

My son Henry, a renaissance man if ever there was, has created this show. Each week from now until Christmas, you can listen to a new episode of The Mr. Dog Podcast, as Henry reads aloud from Paine’s Hollow Tree and Deep Woods books. Along the way you’ll meet The Storyteller and The Little Lady, Mr. Turtle, Mr. Rabbit and many more, and you’ll get to know that backstory.... what's the history behind the cozy Christmas friendship of Mr. ‘Coon, Mr. ‘Possum, Mr. Crow, and Mr. Dog, anyhow?

Henry is a wonderful storyteller (wait til you hear his Mr. Crow voice!), and in each episode he gives helpful bits of historical context and definitions for unfamiliar Victorian terms. He provides sweet musical interludes and a cozy crackling fire ambience, too. I love imagining families gathered ‘round each week to catch the latest installment, and the anticipation building as he approaches the Christmas Eve episode.

Of course, Paine was a master storyteller and it seems he loved exploring the form—the Hollow Tree tales have layers upon layers of storytelling within them. I imagine him listening to our podcast, which adds a new storyteller and a new storytelling medium to the mix. I hope he’d be pleased to find his tales being shared this way, enjoyed by many more “little folks” (and their storytellers), over 100 years after he wrote them.

I hope you’ll have a listen, too. You’ll find each episode here on our podcast page. You can also subscribe via iTunes or SoundCloud. Please let us know what you think!

Goodness gracious, how the time does fly! I've been meaning to share these fun photos of us with Mr. Dog at the Bay Area Book Festival, which happened across the bay in Berkeley, California, back in June. 

We transformed a rather bland little 8x8 foot square into a proper Hollow Tree celebration in record time, early on a Saturday morning, and spent the next two days meeting and greeting Mr. Dog fans new and old. 

Our photobooth with lifesize Mr. Dog was a big hit!

The Hollow Tree Bulletin Board was replete with the latest news and offerings from Mr. Dog and friends.

Our gorgeous book was beautifully displayed with Deep Woods trimmings.

Did anyone contact Mr. Crow for lessons?! If so, we'd love your feedback.

We think Mr. Possum is a fine catch, despite his shortcomings in the spelling department.

Cynthia and Adam (our book's designer and illustrator, respectively) popped into the photobooth with Mr. Dog, of course.

Thanks to those of you who stopped in to say hello! And for those who missed it, we hope you enjoy this virtual tour of the festivities.