A Dog Called Leka

Willard Manus
Viveca Smith Publishing (2006)
ISBN 0974055131
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (11/06)

Ben Edgeworth is an eighteen year old American who sets sail on a journey with his dog Leka.  They travel across the Greek islands on a catamaran that Ben built.  Initially, Ben was preparing to do this journey on his own.  He had no intention of complicating the trip by bringing a dog with him.  However, when he met Leka, he fell in love and was unable to talk himself into leaving him behind.

Leka is an incredibly special, intelligent dog.  He seems to have a soul.  To help fund his trip, Ben paints pictures of Leka that capture his true essence.  Ben tried to paint pictures of people and places, but he just didn’t have the talent for it like he did with painting Leka.  As they travel among the islands, they encounter many adventures.  Leka continues to prove his loyalty to Ben.  Some of their adventures involve dangerous people, weather, and animals.

I enjoyed this story because of the interaction between Leka and Ben.  Leka seems more like a guardian angel than a dog.  He doesn’t have super powers, he is just a super dog.  I also liked traveling around the islands with them and learning about other places.  The author, Willard Manus, spent some time living on the island, so I think that he is able to realistically portray this area in his writing.

“A Dog Called Leka” is written for a younger audience and I would highly recommend it to them, especially if you have a child that you are encouraging to read more and that loves dogs.  I would also recommend it to teachers of adults who are just learning to read English as a second language.  The grammar and vocabulary are not too complex, and the story is one that is enjoyable for all ages.  As an adult that is interested in other areas and loves animals, I really enjoyed the story.

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