Dogsbody (novel) facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Diana Wynne Jones |
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| Cover artist | Derek Collard |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's fantasy |
| Publisher | Macmillan Publishers (UK) Greenwillow Books (US) |
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Publication date
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1975 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 191 or 239 |
| ISBN | 0333187911 |
| OCLC | 47813078 |
Dogsbody is an exciting fantasy novel for children written by British author Diana Wynne Jones. It was first published in 1975. The story follows Sirius, a powerful star who is unfairly accused of a serious crime. As punishment, he is sent to live on Earth in the body of a dog. His mission is to find a lost, magical object before his dog life ends.
Contents
The Star Dog's Journey
Sirius's Punishment
Sirius, a very important star from the Dog Star system, faces a big problem. He is accused of a serious crime: losing a powerful cosmic tool called the Zoi on Earth. His own Companion, another star, speaks against him.
Sirius is sentenced to live one lifetime as a dog on Earth. If he can find the Zoi before his dog life ends, he can return to being a star. If not, he will simply die like any other dog.
Life as Leo
Sirius is born as a puppy. Sadly, his litter is thrown into a river because they are mixed-breed dogs. A kind girl named Kathleen O'Brien rescues him. He is dirty and weak, but she saves him and names him Leo.
Kathleen lives with the Duffield family because her father is in prison. Mr. Duffield is mostly distant but kind. However, Mrs. Daphne Duffield, who makes pottery, is often mean to Kathleen because she is Irish.
The Duffields have two sons: Basil, who is interested in meteorites and sometimes acts like his mother; and Robin, who is kind but scared of his family. Three cats also live in the house and slowly become friends with Sirius. Life is hard for Sirius because Mrs. Duffield dislikes him, and Kathleen's small allowance is his only food.
New Friends and Old Enemies
Sirius gets help from other stars, like Sol, in his search for the Zoi. He explores the town, finding people who feed him, such as Miss Smith, a sweet retired teacher.
He also makes friends with other dogs, including Bruce, Patchie, Rover, and Redears, who are his litter-mates. He meets Yeff, a "cold dog," who looks like Sirius and his siblings. Only Sirius, Patchie, and Yeff can hear a strange, high whistle. Yeff tells Sirius it's "the Master" whistling and that only certain dogs know about him.
Sirius accidentally meets the women who tried to drown him as a puppy. One of them turns out to be his former Companion, who betrayed him. Sol distracts her, and Earth helps Sirius escape. Sirius realizes his Companion, whom he once admired, is as cruel as Mrs. Duffield. Earth tells him that the Master has the Zoi but doesn't know how to use it.
Sirius's old Companion and New-Sirius (the star who took his place) try to kill him. He escapes again, helped by Moon, and sees the cold dogs once more.
Kathleen's Struggle
Kathleen learns that her father has died. She becomes very angry and breaks Mrs. Duffield's pottery. Mrs. Duffield beats Kathleen, but Sirius steps in and bites her.
Furious, Mrs. Duffield demands that Sirius be put down. Kathleen pretends to take him to be euthanized. Once outside, Sirius leads Kathleen to Miss Smith's house, where Miss Smith takes Kathleen in. Robin and Basil find Kathleen at Miss Smith's, and the three children comfort each other.
The Wild Hunt
As night falls, Sirius slips away to run with the cold dogs. Bruce, Patchie, Rover, and Redears join him. The three children discover Sirius is gone and follow the dogs. They follow the pack of cold dogs into a mysterious, empty space.
Meeting the Master
The eight humans and dogs meet the Master. He asks Sirius about the Zoi. The Master then allows each visitor to ask for one wish. Robin asks for a puppy. Kathleen asks to understand her dog, but since Sirius is not truly a dog, this wish doesn't work as she expects. Basil asks for the "meteorite," which is actually the Zoi.
To Basil and Sirius's surprise, the Master gives the Zoi to Kathleen instead. She somehow knows exactly how the Zoi works. Sirius's former Companion and New-Sirius appear, trying to kill Sirius. Kathleen uses the Zoi to defeat them. Sirius manages to get the Zoi from her and turns back into his star form. He sees his dog body lying dead. Sadly, he returns to his place in the sky, leaving Kathleen behind.
Aftermath
Back in his star form, Sirius returns to his old life. However, he decides not to find a new Companion. Together, Sirius and Sol guide Kathleen to Patchie's new litter of puppies. Kathleen carefully chooses a female puppy for Miss Smith.
About the Story
Mythology and Stars
The book includes ideas from different old stories, especially Welsh mythology. The "cold dogs" and their monthly "Wild Hunt" are similar to the Cŵn Annwn, mythical dogs from Welsh legends. The Master sometimes seems like figures from myths, such as Arawn, Orion, or Actaeon.
The "luminaries" in the book are the stars themselves. They use their Greek or Latin names, like Sol for the Sun, and Sirius for the Dog Star.
Setting the Scene
The exact town where Sirius lives is never named. The story seems to take place during a time of conflict, possibly around the Irish War of Independence. This is hinted at by Kathleen's father being in prison for actions during a conflict, and why she lives with the Duffields for safety.
The townspeople sometimes show prejudice against Irish people. A policeman mentions "race relations laws," which suggests the story happens after 1965, when such laws were introduced in Britain. This shows how Kathleen's background affects her life in the story.
