the LoneDogs of Scrabble

The LoneDogs of Scrabble (A Canine TreeLeg Chorus) flaunts a kaleidoscopic diversity of style that immediately captivates its reader through. Early on in the book it becomes clear that dogs are sentient beings and protagonists whose narrative is threaded and woven throughout the book, intersecting with the human narrative seamlessly.

here is a curious balance between complex human relationships and a clever levity that allures us into the canine world. Dogs marvel at humans' capacity to bring them food without hunting for it, to fly in their "shells" (cars) together, and to continue removing all their good smells with their "Scent stealers." (vacuum cleaners). The canine voice interprets human realities entirely through the dogs' eyes (and nose), absent of all human constructs. This is further evidenced by usage of the word "TreeLeg" in the subtitle, one of several words used to characterize a human, foretelling the unique canine voice. Included in the rear of the book is a Dog Dictionary to define the dogs' voice and their perspective on life with humans, although words become mostly understandable in context.

The dog narrative begins with Jonas and his aunt Jonas and his aunt looking to rescue a dog from a kill shelter. One stray in the pound smells the "footskins" (shoes) of one young male, and conjectures whether the new humans, will give him a name and refuge, hunt his food, and in the best of worlds, become his Alpha protector.
The human story begins with Jonas, a highly creative thirteen-year-old, who aspires to be a writer and overtly asserts his own style. In school he meets Roy, a sharp-tongued teen from Oklahoma with an acerbic disdain for the immaturity of his classmates, in quick-paced dialogue.

Redwood deftly incorporates a "shifting viewpoint narrative," where the voice of the human and canine narratives change with the character in focus. Themes are neatly referenced by folksy sayings at the beginning of each chapter and ending with a pithy tie-up.

The LoneDogs of Scrabble has already reached a wide appreciative audience of young adults, seniors, and dog /animal lovers. Indeed, it is a tour de force of creativity, and decidedly an upbeat and adventurous novel for multi-generational audiences. And the likeable characters course readers through a gamut of emotions, keeping the pages turning!