Written by a high school boy and illustrated by his grandma, this heartwarming intergenerational book tells the story of a stray dog who believed his name was 'Skat,' as that's all he ever heard. One day, a grumpy old man takes him in, and both their lives are transformed forever.
This book is dedicated to Coco's Heart Dog Rescue (CHDR), a nonprofit organization helping animals like Buddy find loving homes. Since May 2010, CHDR has matched nearly 20,000 dogs, cats, and pocket pets with families. The rescue is powered by hundreds of devoted volunteers, all working toward the shared mission of saving animals and giving them the love they need.
All proceeds from this book will be donated to support Coco's Heart Dog Rescue and their ongoing efforts to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome pets in need.
Oslo Norcross, a high school student in Minnesota, lives with his parents, siblings, and four dogs. Two of Oslo's dogs were adopted from Coco's Heart Dog Rescue, inspiring him to write Skat! While Oslo has grown up with all sorts of animals, dogs have always been his favorite. When he is not busy playing fetch with his favorite dog (whichever one he is with at the time), he enjoys playing violin, basketball, soccer, reading, and speech. Oslo hopes this book shows that when a person "rescues" a dog, they are actually rescuing themselves, as their life will change for the better. He hopes that this book will help match dogs just as cute as Buddy with owners just as caring as the old man.
Mumsel, a.k.a. Anne-Marit Bergstrom, was delighted when her grandson Oslo asked her if she would illustrate his book about a dog and his journey to find a home. Mumsel has been an artist for nearly as long as she has been passionate about her pets, and has illustrated numerous books over the years (www.annemaritbergstrom.com). In the 1950s, Mumsel studied in Austria with Oskar Kokoschka, who impressed upon her that she should "paint what you love." This lesson has resonated with Mumsel for her whole career, and painting a story of a sweet dog in a joint project with Oslo certainly qualified. "The chance to illustrate Oslo's sweet story would set my tail to wagging if I had one!"
