Elki is Not My Dog

3.8

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Author(s)

Elena Arevalo Melville

Co-Authors / Illustrators

Tonka Uzu

Publisher Name

Scallywag Press

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

October 01, 2024

ISBN13

978-1915252661

ISBN10 or ASIN

Elki does not have a home―she is a stray dog who ﬁnds kindness in the company of a little group of children.

They play together during the day, but Elki must stay alone outside every night because dogs are not allowed in their block of ﬂats. One day Elki disappears and is later found injured. Who will look after her and how?

Elena Arevalo Melville wrote this story for her fellow artist and friend Tonka Uzu, whose childhood memory this is.

Editor review

1 review

The Importance of Found Family

November 11, 2024

Overall rating

3.8

Plot

3.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

4.0

Four children live in a large apartment block in the city, and one of them tells the sad story of a stray dog that keeps them company. They call the dog Elki, and she is a very good companion, eating ice cream with them, playing games, and generally hanging out with the group. In the summer, it is not too bad, because everyone would like to hang out in the warm night air. In the winter, however, it's another story, and the narrator wishes that Mrs. Potts would let dogs come into the building. Even though Elki is not anyone's dog, when she is hurt and sick, the children all take care of her, even convincing Mrs. Potts to let her recuperate in the building. The children take care of Elki the best they can, because even though the dog doesn't have proper food or shelter, at least she has a family.

Good Points

This is based on the childhood experience of the illustrator, Tonka Uzu, and is definitely a poignant tale. His illustrations give us a good idea of the neighborhood, the friends, and the activities that he would have shared with the stray dog. They are softly colored, and have a hazy, nostalgic feel to them.

Since my own personal dogs tend to be older ones that ended up at shelters, this book was very sad, especially since Elki doesn't get taken to the vet when she's sick! It does show a good sense of community, and I was glad to see that Elki did get as much care as the children could provide. This is a good choice for readers who want to learn about how dogs go about connecting with families, like Cecil's Lucy, Sorosiak and Holzwarth's Everywhere With You, Cummings' Can I Be Your Dog or Thompson's A Family for Louie.