Seadogs: an epic ocean operetta

Written by Lisa Wheeler; Illustrated by Mark Siegel Bluebonnet Nominee This picture book is the story of a young girl puppy who goes to the opera to see the production of Seadogs; the book is told as a stage production of an operetta. The Old Seadog takes a ship, The Beauty, out to sea one last time with a small crew, Brave Beagle and a cooking Dachshund, to set “off to find adventure where a dog can be a king!" They ship out to sea one last time but are attacked by a band of pirates, “The filthy, roving Mongrel Horde of Captain Jacques Fifi – The Terrier of the Sea” who stole everything on board, but leave behind a puppy (Pup) and a treasure map, which the Seadogs use to search for treasure. After finding the treasure on a deserted island, the pirates rob them and tie them up in a tree, but Dachshund rescues his crew and they all escape. Captain Jacques Fifi’s crew mutinies and throw him overboard and old Seadog gives Dachshund and Brave Beagle his ship and he is content to settle on land with his new family, Pup. The little girl puppy who saw the production of Seadogs is happy and excited about the performance and she imagines that she is a seadog too. The comic book style illustrations in this book are colorful and detailed and keep the theme of dogs being pirates consistent throughout the book. APA Citation Wheeler, L. (2004). Seadogs: An Epic Ocean Operetta. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.