A rescue dog and an orphaned cheetah form a new family in Newbery Honor-winning author Jasmine Warga's The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan, a graceful, ultimately hopeful middle-grade novel inspired by true stories of cheetahs and dogs in zoos across the globe.
A dog flees the cabin that was once his home, gets injured, and is rescued by two strange new humans. Though the humans heal him and name him Finnegan, he is slow to trust. When they explain that Finnegan has a new and important job at the zoo, he fears this means he is about to be deserted. Instead, he becomes the "new cheetah ambassador dog," companion to Chase, a curious and anxious young cheetah whose mother died.
Warga (A Rover's Story) alternates between Chase and Finnegan's points-of-view highlighting their mutual worries, loneliness, and fears as well as their shared joys: a love of food; pride in doing and being "good." Warga excels at character building, depicting Finnegan's fear of abandonment, and showing how Chase's "grief is like another appendage."
Spot illustrations from artist Vivienne To (The Whisperwicks series) begin each chapter while larger, grayscale images indicate the start of a new section and the developing friendship. From "Endings and Beginnings" to the final page ("She runs to him") the figures of Chase and Finnegan move physically closer. This book may be too much to bear for young readers overwhelmed by sad things happening to small animals. Those who love realistic stories about animals and anxiety, however, may find The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan wholesome and emotionally satisfying. --Nicole Brinkley, bookseller and writer