Sailor: The Hangashore Newfoundland Dog

Valentina Cesaratto is a high-school teacher specializing in dramatic
arts and film studies.

Ike’s large, black Newfoundland dog, Sailor, is different from the
other dogs in Twillingate. Sailor won’t go into the water. He simply
sits on the shore and enjoys the view from there. No amount of coaxing
or teasing can get Sailor into or onto the water. He is a
“hangashore” dog. Then one day during the early spring, Ike decides
to copy a trick some of the older boys are performing. He begins to hop
from one small ice flow onto another playing follow the leader. It’s
fun until he slips and falls into the cold water. Hearing Ike call for
help, Sailor jumps into the water and drags him onto the shore. Sailor
becomes a hero for having saved Ike’s life and is no longer called a
“hangashore dog.”

The words come to life in this enjoyable book because they are written
in such a way as to give the reader a feel for the wonderful lilt of the
dialogue spoken in Newfoundland. The colorful yet simply drawn
illustrations show us what life is like in the fishing village. This
warm, heroic story is one that any child over age four will want to read
many times. Highly recommended.