What the Dog Saw

What the Dog Saw is the story of a troubled boy as seen through the eyes of his ageing Labrador, Baxter. While there is much that Baxter sees that worries him, there are also moments of humour and joy. Baxter loves playing with his boy and is always ready to listen to him, but he also worries about his boy, and wonders if even the loyalty and friendship of a Labrador will be enough to help him. Baxter's observations provide a unique perspective on his boy's battle with mental illness. Everybody who is sad, lonely and misunderstood needs a dog like Baxter, because 'a dog always knows his boy, even if his boy doesn't know himself'. This endearing story will make you smile, cry, think and learn. A must read! - Doris Zagdanski, author of Teenagers and Grief and Now that the Funeral is Over What the Dog Saw views from a surprising perspective a difficult topic - the suicide of a much-loved son. The approach is gentle and tender, without sentimentality. It offers a deeply moving way of opening the subject for discussion not only with younger people, but with anyone who wishes to understand and deal with the intense pain of such loss. - Valerie Volk, poet and author of In Due Season, Peaches and Bystanders What the Dog Saw is an innovative, sensitive yet powerful story of a family dealing with a suicide. Baxter the dog is adorable and wise while giving young people the space to feel and unpack their own grief or to understand another's. I loved it, but keep the tissues handy. - Rosanne Hawke, author of The Messenger Bird and Wolfchild An ideal book, recommended for suicide bereaved youth. It brings into light the complexities of mental illness and suicide loss in a non-threatening and sensitive manner. - Su-Rose McIntyre, suicide bereavement counselor, teacher Mark Worthing is an author and lives with his family on a small farm in the Adelaide Hills. His recent works include Graeme Clark. The Man Who Invented the Bionic Ear (Allen&Unwin 2015), Phantastes. George MacDonald's Classic Fantasy Novel retold (Stone Table Books, 2016), and Martin Luther. A Wild Boar in the Lord's Vineyard (Morning Star Publishing, 2017).