Big Mutt

by John Henry Reese

Received the NY Herald Tribune award for Best Children's Book, 1952. Originally a Junior Literary Guild Selection of the Westminster Press, it can now be found in the Macmillan Reading Spectrum for children.

OUTLAW DOG!

A blizzard threatened the North Dakota Badlands, and Dwight Jerome was herding his father's sheep across the road back to the ranch. That was when he first saw the magnificent big mutt who filled the back seat of a car from New York.

When the storm broke, the Easterners were afraid of being snowed in for days in the car. They abandoned the dog.

The big mutt slept out the storm in a coyote's den. When he awoke, he was famished -- and his nose led him to sheep.

To the ranchers, any dog that kills sheep is doomed. A posse is sent out to track the outlaw down. But Dwight believes that Wolves are doing most of the slaughter, and he is determined to save the big mutt.

"Set in teh sheep-raising country of North Dakota...it successfully combines a moving dog story with exciting adventure."--The New York Times

"...a freshly exciting and absorbing story... no one who takes it up will put it down willingly, nor soon to forget." --New York Herald Tribune

"The dog's fight to live and the boy's efforts to save and reclaim him are told with gripping suspense and realism." --A.L.A. Booklist

"A gripping, realistic picture of the North Dakota Badlands in a time of bitter cold and blizzard when wolves prey on sheep. Big Mutt, an abandoned dog, must kill to live but eventually proves his value as a sheepdog and justifies a young boy's supreme faith in him."--Library Journal

"...this realistic story of a boy, of dogs and sheep and wolves has some unforgettable scenes... There are graphic details of the posse's search for Big Mutt, of a lambing season, and, throughout, of the intensity of conflict and devotion between animals and men."--Horn Book

"Without being in the least sentimental, it has both drama and pathos. Big Mutt is an exceptionally good dog character."--Saturday Review

Genres: Animals

212 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1952

About the author

Pseudonyms for this author include: Cody Kennedy Jr. and John Jo Carpenter. John Reese in 1981- "I have never cared what any critic said about my work and still do not. I was never an ‘author,’but I was a production professional.” His output was remarkable. He sold over 500 stories to the pulps, graduated to the slicks, and became the top freelance contributor to the Saturday Evening Post. Doubleday published his first novel in 1943 and by 1980 he had written more than 40 more. His list included many high original Westerns, especially the Jesus on Horseback trilogy, but he developed in other directions. Big Mutt , is a best selling dog story for children, in print more than 30 years-winner of New York Herald Tribune Award, Children’s Book, 1952. The Looters explores the world of organized crime and became a film by Universal Pictures [Charley Varrick, ©1973]. Ten novels spotlight private investigator Jefferson Hewitt. Another trilogy with This Wild Land chronicles the powerful and passionate Shepherd family on and made concessions to the then current appetite for sex and violence. His production record alone stamps him as a notable writer, but he had other claims to high rating. One would be originality. An agent once described him as “incredibly imaginative.” There is a strong element of disillusion in Reese’s humor. The antics of the human race left him “confused and depressed.” After his years in politics and the newspaper business, he suspected that crooks and phonies outnumber the honest men in our world. He thought that many of today’s college graduates “ought to be recalled as unsafe at any speed.” Observation told him that “the noble red man was a myth” and that “tribal life was hell.” At the same time he respected courage and honor and loyalty. The mixture of skepticism and faith adds a special tone to his work. The flavor is sharpened by a high degree of literacy. He was formidably self-educated and called himself “a nut about the English language.” He delighted in good prose and was a fine stylist himself. From all this his principals as a writer emerge: “I always tell ambitious writers-to-be that if they haven’t read, they can’t write.” His second dictum: “If they haven’t lived, they can’t write.” He himself drew on an incredible reservoir of experience. He headed James Roosevelt’s campaign for governor, spent years as a Los Angeles newsman, and was at home in Hollywood. Nothing like this happens to the young literati of today. Reese fans contend that he was one of the equal or better-known practitioners of his craft: that in his own territory he was as good as they come. Jack Smith quoted Reese when he wrote about him in the Los Angeles Times upon his death: “Many a time I have looked back over my career trying to find something in it worthwhile. About all I remember with any pride was running Richard Nixon out of the City Hall pressroom. I told him something like ‘Go on, get out. Nobody can square you with Van. He says you have no guts and no principle and will probably go far.’” Jack goes on to retell the story of how Reese received hundreds of calls at home for the Failure to Provide [Deadbeat Dad] Office of the District Attorney. Seems his number was near that of the office. He was a compassionate man and it shows in his work. He couldn’t bear to change his number stating “There’s something about the anonymity of a wrong number that seems to cloak it with the frankness of the confessional and all I can do is try to exhibit a little compassion myself when they want to talk to the wrong number god.” Reese asked Jack not to retell this and many other stories for fear it would hurt his reputation as a curmudgeon. What he lacked in formal education, he made up for in integrity, honesty, loyalty and principal and, of course, a very colorful imagination. Jack Smith further wrote: “Here’s to an old grouch, and a very good man.”

Reviews

[Steve Shilstone]

Loved it in my passionate dog book devouring days as an 11 year old.

[Steve Charney]

One of my first 'favorite' reads. As a child I read this book and was caught up in the action and adventure. I recently completed my third reading: making it an "every 30 years" book for me.
As an adult, I can see how it captivated my childhood interest. Look forward to reading it again circa. 2052.

[Gillian]

You know when you remember a book from your childhood but you only recall a few details (not the title -of course) so you try and Google it and you get a hit? Yeah, me neither. But you have to get lucky sometimes, right? WELL THAT JUST HAPPENED TO ME WITH THIS BOOK!!

I remember reading this as a dog crazy 10 yr old many many many years ago. It was where I first read the term Badlands and wondered why anyone would choose to live somewhere that sounded scary. I also recall wondering how someone would get so lucky as to just find a dog and be able to keep it forever and ever. I desperately wanted a dog but was never allowed to have one. In fairness, my parents had enough on their plates with three kids but still...that dream never did die. Which is how I've ended up owning dogs for almost my entire adult life.

I'm so glad I was able to find this and now I'm rating it 4 nostalgic stars because I'm a grown up and I can do what I want. So there.

[J.t. Stout]

Great book for middle school boys! If anyone liked Call of the Wild, you will love this book!

[Rob]

Pretty good youth book. I swear I read it before the date this claims it was published, but maybe not.

[Chrystal Wright]

Great book. This began my youthful stint of reading the pets-in-the-wild genre. Incredible Journey, A Nose for Trouble etc...

[Kathleen A]

A great story about a boy and a dog’s relationship and connection in conflict with the boy’s sense of loyalty and responsibility as a sheepman. Nothing like a good dog book!!!

[Jessica]

A bit slow to start and rather depressing in parts, but a decent story with a happy ending.

[Liesa Malik]

To be honest, although the writing style is a tad dated, I really liked this book. It is a dog against nature kind of tale and I was drawn through the story to the end. There was little romance or violence, but enough conflict to keep you reading on--and rooting for Buster, who has to survive a major winter storm in the sheep country of North Dakota. We see this overgrown and perhaps a bit flabby city dog grow into a magnificent canine who retains just enough dog to make him truly a hero.

[Sharon Buxton]

B+. children's fiction, upper elementary, YA, dog story, North Dakota, adventure, Mom's stash, keep.