stephen huneck

So I have noticed a theme in my favorite kid's books. They are all about dogs. And they are are all by independent artists who just decided to put their talents toward children's books.

Stephen Huneck is one of those artists. He loves dogs. So much so that they brought him out of a coma and saved him from death. A great example of how faith extends beyond the pages of books and beyond the walls of certain institutions. He writes about the experience in The Dog Chapel ... which isn't just a book, it's an actual place that he beautifully built. "All Creeds. All Breeds. No Dogmas Allowed."


We own The Dog Chapel. And Sally Goes to the Mountains.


There is a whole series of Sally books that are quite wonderful. It helps that I grew up with black dogs and that we own a black lab mix. Stephen seems to understand the gift of dogs and all that we have to learn from them, both humorous and poignant. The illustrations in his books are all woodcuts and the prints are for sale on his site. My parents own this print ... and it is all too fitting considering that in our family dogs share every piece of furniture, including the bed.