Book review: Freddy The Dogged Rescuer offers kids a pragmatic view on pet adoption and fund-raising

Freddy The Dogged Rescuer

By Swapnil Mishra

Children’s Fiction/Epigram Books/Paperback/216 pages/$14.90/Epigram Bookshop
3 out of 5 stars

A 10-year-old boy attempts a near-impossible feat of raising $20,000 to save a dog shelter in the latest children’s publication from Epigram Books.

Written by Singapore Management University (SMU) adjunct teaching mentor Swapnil Mishra and illustrated by Quek Yu Qing, this is a sequel to Freddy The Eager Fundraiser, published in 2018.

The first book, for children aged nine and above, introduced the altruistic Freddy, who puts playing football aside to raise funds for the Singapore Red Cross.

The second book follows Freddy’s journey in managing the responsibilities and expectations of adopting a Singapore Special – a term for a local mixed-breed dog – named Wally from a dog shelter.

However, trouble ensues when Freddy discovers that the other dogs will be homeless when the shelter’s lease runs out.

Readers need not have covered the first book to understand the premise of the second.

For young readers, touches of realism include primary school classroom dynamics, sibling banter and lamentations about “buzzkill” parents.

Amid obstacles to meet his target amount, Freddy discovers that the stakes are raised when he finds a rival in his new primary school classmate.

Mishra’s writing encapsulates the collective experience of Covid-19 restrictions. Coupled with Quek’s illustrations of the mask-wearing characters, Singaporean readers will be familiar with safe distancing-related terminologies such as SafeEntry and the TraceTogether token. 

At 216 pages, the book works within the same restrictions prominent within the narrative.

Ambitious plot lines and slapstick episodes make for limited development of the key characters, who are reduced to archetypes and plot devices. Sobering topics, such as a student from a broken family, are also skirted around.

Pre-teens (aged nine to 12) and advanced readers who expect an inventive story might be dissuaded by textbook-like resolutions that are a far cry from the works of other authors, such as those by English comedian David Walliams and Wonder by American writer R.J. Palacio. Wonder takes place in middle school without compromising the depth and growth of its young protagonists.

Overall, Freddy The Dogged Rescuer provides plenty of brow-raising antics and reminders that no man is an island.

In the spirit of Freddy’s optimism, palpable through dialogue peppered with exclamations, the writer inspires its young readers that anything is achievable, even in the face of adversity.

If you like this, read: Freddy The Eager Fundraiser (Epigram Books, 2018, $14.90, Epigram Bookshop). After learning about the Nepal earthquake, 10-year-old Freddy prioritises raising funds for the Singapore Red Cross over playing football, but encounters obstacles in carrying out his plans.