The Last Stardog has fallen to bookstores!
‘Intricate and captivating, The Last Stardog is an utterly charming and delightful story of friendship and dreams, and the magic that sparks where they meet.’
– Hollie Hughes, Author of The Girl and the Dinosaur
“Too beautiful to put into words”
“This book is so gorgeous. The story so moving and the illustrations are just absolutely breath taking.
A classic in the making. ”
– Waterstones Bookseller, Patrycja Kostecka
“A timeless book to treasure forever filled with tales of destiny, friendship and joy”
This is an excellent and moving debut from an author:illustrator who obviously has a beautiful imagination. A picture book like this can be read in one sitting or over a few nights/days. In a story about sheer loneliness and searching one’s true tribe and belonging, the magical Stardog lives in the night sky and dreams of other star-creatures to be with. Falling through the night sky, so heavy with sadness, Stardog lands on a beautiful world and she is amazed at the colours, the life and is filled with hope of finding other fallen stardogs.
Setting off on a magical quest, Stardog makes some wonderful friends along the way – a crow, a moth, a frog and a tiger. Upon each first meeting, Stardog’s story pauses for an inspiring and unique origin story for each of them.
Each friend has character traits that anyone can relate to, whether it’s anxiety, hope, loneliness, but the true message is that our destiny lies with happiness and joy of the friendship and love of others.
EK Mosely is a dyslexic creator. This is a timeless book to treasure forever. Stunning end papers too. There’ll be more to come from me about this creator and this incredible debut… watch this space!!
– The Kids Book Curator
“Absolutely phenomenal!”
“This is an extraordinary book and will most likely go down as an instant classic. The simple but powerful messaging is inspirational for all ages, with themes such as the enduring power of friendship, courage in the face of uncertainty and the undying spirit of adventure being encapsulated perfectly in the whimsical and deeply moving tale of the titular Stardog’s search for her family.
The characters are also excellent; they are simply and memorably introduced and represent witty spins on many of the classic storytelling archetypes. However, they are also all expertly captured and brimming with personality. Without giving too much away, each of them has to face their own challenges and tribulations, and their struggles in the face of adversity are highly relatable.
They will stay with the reader long after you put the book down, and spending time with them is a heartwarming joy.
And the illustrations. My word, the illustrations! I am someone with a large collection of very beautiful books (an unfortunate side effect of a weakness for coffee-table art volumes), but this is without doubt one of the most gorgeously illustrated titles I’ve ever seen across any age range or genre. Mosley’s artworks are detailed, stunningly coloured and filled with depths which reveal themselves over numerous readings.
This would be a fantastic book regardless of the illustrations, but they raise The Last Stardog to another level and position it as a work that is a delight to read or simply to behold. I would without hesitation recommend it to both children and adults.
Anyone looking for a charming story, fantastic characters and some of the finest illustrations ever committed to paper can end their search right here.”
– Waterstones Bookseller, Sam E
“Endless Treasures in a Cosmic Fairytale”
E K Mosley’s ‘The Last Stardog’ takes you on a stroll through a delightfully designed and endlessly imagined world, alongside a cast of colourful characters with charming camaraderie.
It is paced with the calm of a lullaby, which reinforces an overall folkloric timelessness that carries across the pages.
Page-spread-origin-stories are peppered throughout the story like little literary trinkets
– they bulk up the book, and break up the narration in a way that maintains a pleasant levity in the face of some underlying and (slightly) existential themes, that help this title appeal as both a bedtime book for kids and a gift book for adults.
Stardog is looking for her people, which is unfortunate for her, because she has not been told the title of the book. It is a fool’s errand.
The origin stories serve as sort-of-marker-points in the story’s structure; the new friend being introduced to Stardog and the reader is a nice way to suggest plot progression, and once again connects this modern tale to the classic fairy-tales and fables.
This expanding cast grows on us quickly, which makes for an impactful resolution that reconciles with themes of feeling isolated and lonely, wanting to belong, and finding your people, even when they aren’t exactly who you’d think they would be.
– by Waterstones Bookseller Ewan Shepherd
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
PORTALS
to transport you to
The Magical World of
. . . • * The Last Stardog * • . . .
UK:
Waterstones | WHSmith | Amazon | Foyles | Gosh!Comics | Flying Eye Books
US/Canada:
Penguin Random House | Barnes&Noble | Bookshop.org | Amazon
Australia/New Zealand:
Walker Books | Amazon
France:
Kaléidoscope
Holland:
Uitgeverij Christofoor
Greece:
Petita Demas
Spain:
Bodoni (Spanish and Catalan)
Croatia:
Corimbo
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Have you ever dreamed the same dream?
Twice or thrice or more…?
Every night, Stardog dreamed the same dream. A dream full of stardogs.
There was music and laughter and a feeling of belonging.
But, each night, when the dream ended, Stardog awoke alone.
The last of her kind.
Then one night, heavy with loneliness, Stardog fell out the sky…
Past the planets… Down to Earth… where the familiar fell away,
and the unknown grew all around…
With her star magic lost, Stardog embarks on a journey to restore it.
Can she find other lost stardogs to help her?
Stardog’s quest will be no easy feat, but, along the way, she will find strength and joy in the most unlikely of friendships . . .
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Stardog is a magical dog, born from the stars and searching for adventure, love and friendship.
Inspired by e.k.mosley’s own childhood Labrador,
follow Stardog’s adventures in:
The Last Stardog
published by Flying Eye Books
&
Stardog’s Tale
Stardog’s Poems
ekmosley.com 