Strongheart

The World's First Movie Star Dog

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by Emily Arnold McCully

Type

Stories

Subject

Actor > Strongheart

Keywords

Strongheart, animals

Publishing date

2014

Publisher

Henry Holt & Co

Language

English

Relative size

Physical desc.

Hardcover • 40 pages
8 ¾ x 11 ¼ inches (22.5 x 28.5 cm)

ISBN

978-0-8050-9448-0

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Book Presentation:
Strongheart may have been a movie star, but he wasn't always famous. He started out as a police dog who could sniff out criminals and march like a soldier, but he didn't know how to have fun. Larry Trimble was a Hollywood director who wanted to put Strongheart in his movies―not just as a pet but as the lead actor. Larry taught him to play with toys and walk like a regular dog. In his films, Strongheart brought audiences to tears. He was a sensation! But when Strongheart's military training led to trouble, was his career over?
Set in the early days of silent movies, Emily Arnold McCully's extraordinary story about a real-life hero will capture the hearts of dog lovers and movie fans everywhere.

About the Author:
I was born in Galesburg, Illinois, in 1939, but grew up in Garden City, New York. My father was a writer/producer of network radio shows, and my mother had been an actress and singer. Noticing that I was trying to draw people and objects, my mother once said to me, "Why don't you practice that and get it right?" She saw a talent to be developed so that I could support myself when I grew up. As a child, I doodled and sketched and created my own stories, binding them into books. As class artist in school, I designed posters, backdrops, and programs for concerts and plays. I often visited the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and sketched people sitting on benches in Union Square. The city fueled my ambitions for an active life in the arts, theater, and publishing. I attended Pembroke College (now part of Brown University), majoring in art history and acting in plays. I also collaborated on an award-winning musical. For years, people stood around me as I drew, marveling that I could reproduce someone or something. If art was a performance, I wanted to try out other roles. After graduation, I worked as a mat cutter in an advertising agency and earned an M.A. in art history at Columbia University. Realizing I had no future in the advertising agency, I put together a portfolio of drawings and took it around to art directors. Gradually, jobs trickled in, mostly for book covers. Finally, an editor at Harper & Row Junior Books spotted a poster I had done that featured children. I received my first book illustration assignment, which led to another, and so on. Meanwhile, I wrote fiction and published a short story that was selected for the O. Henry Collection. It was followed by two novels. I was able to try acting again when the chance arose to audition for a friend's play. It opened in Albany and moved to Off Broadway in New York. It was a wonderful experience, but I knew I had to go back to books. I have now written or illustrated more than two hundred books for children. My advice for aspiring artists and writers is this: You can't aim to please other people. Do what matters most to you, then hope readers respond. I believe that books, rather than be palliative or merely instructive, should stir the imagination. I share Isaac Bashevis Singer's belief that children's books are the last refuge of storytelling.Emily Arnold McCully divides her time between New York City and upstate New York. She has won many awards for her children's books, including the Caldecott Medal for Mirette on the High Wire.

Press Reviews:
". . . animal-loving audiences will appreciate learning about an old-school canine star." ―BCCB

"Fans of dogs, movies, and dogs in movies will like this one." ―Booklist

"Caldecott medalist McCully sheds light on a forgotten pioneer." ―Kirkus Reviews

"Children will enjoy this sweet story, and dog lovers especially will find themselves revisiting this book time and again - and falling in love with the star, just as audiences did decades ago." ―School Library Journal

"* A winsome celebration of an extraordinary man and the immeasurable effects of kindness." ―Booklist, starred review on Wonder Horse: The True Story of the World's Smartest Horse

"* This book is sure to grab young readers." ―School Library Journal, starred review on Wonder Horse: The True Story of the World's Smartest Horse

"Young animal lovers will appreciate this as a readaloud as well as a readalone." ―BCCB on Wonder Horse: The True Story of the World's Smartest Horse

"A fine portrait of accomplishment by man and beast." ―The Horn Book on Wonder Horse: The True Story of the World's Smartest Horse

"As she did in Wonder Horse, McCully offers a concise, evocative account of a talented, real-life animal." ―Publishers Weekly on Wonder Horse: The True Story of the World's Smartest Horse

See the publisher website: Henry Holt & Co

See the complete filmography of Strongheart on the website: IMDB ...