Books with title Nasha: The First Dog

An exciting tale of adventure in prehistoric times, set against a spectacular Ice Age landscape.Kip the cave boy bounds along the trail home with a sack of warm and tasty Woolly Rhino ribs. If he could only get rid of pesky Paleowolf, who follows him, hoping for a taste of those delicious ribs! But Paleowolf’s presence turns out to be useful: His warnings save Kip from the Cave Bear, the Mighty Mammoth, and the frightening Saber-Toothed Cat. So Kip offers to share his food—if Paleowolf will use his keen nose, fine ears, and sharp eyes to keep Kip from being eaten up. With a bark and a wag of his tail, Paleowolf agrees to this bargain, and Kip christens his new friend “Dog.” In this exciting tale of adventure in prehistoric times, Jan Brett creates a spectacular Ice Age landscape populated with the massive animals of the time and bordered with images inspired by cave paintings and Ice Age artifacts. She convincingly portrays the growth of the warm bond between man and animal that must, long, long ago, have resulted in the first domesticated dog.

Few events in human history were as important as the domestication of the wolf. Nasha: The First Dog tells how this might have happened. In this tale, a young girl finds an abandoned wolf pup. She rescues the young wolf and brings it to her clan. The leader says she must return the wolf to the wild because there is not enough food for the people in the clan, much less an animal that has traditionally been the enemy of humans.Maddia refused to give up the wolf pup, and her decision is supported by the priestess of the clan, Lartha. She has had a vision and believes that, "The Wolf will be a friend of humans for as long as there are days." Nasha, as Maddia names the wolf pup, has an almost mystical effect on the clan, and she seems to prompt them to discover things that will one day form the foundation of civilization.Written by first-time novelist Dr. Michael Milone, best known for his work as a research psychologist, the story is based on our understanding of ancient humans. In addition to being entertaining, the story helps readers understand that our ancestors fifteen thousand years ago were not the violent brutes as they are often depicted. Humans were intelligent, persevering, and caring people who were like us in many ways. "The human journey is the greatest adventure ever," insists Dr. Milone, "and along the way, our lives were enriched enormously by our interdependence with dogs."Although recognizing that it is a "spoiler," Dr. Milone insists that readers should know that the wolves are involved through the final chapter and are in the sequel, which will be available in 2010. "Readers can be assured that the wolves are unharmed, despite their willingness to protect their humans at any cost."

Shah Moo was dreaming. His dream was of long ago, when he was hardly more than a pup, freshly evicted from his small pack to wander on his own. Through his dream, he remembered how restless he had been, yearning for something…something more. He dreamed he had found that something more, from a pact made with God. The pact led him to search for Children to companion, a search that led him to a strange new country, and to cave dwellers who filled the intent of his higher purpose. He remembered the long, frightening weeks it took to become accepted, and when he did, of the joys of companionship, of the hunt, of growing with the new clan. He remembered, too, his first mate, long dead now, and many of his progeny who were no longer with the clan, but also dead or scattered to other places far away.His dream took him through the horrors of the great Bear confrontation, and through the destructive waters that rent the clan apart. He relived the terrifying encounter with the evil Child, and the frenzy of the wolf attack that shredded his ear and chopped his tail in two. So many things.His dream also focused on the love he shared with the Child called Rah-bah, and Ah-na-ray, and their own children and companions. There were long, lazy days, and bright sunshine, and fish to eat, and the tree-things to catch and consume. All the days…and then he dreamed he was dreaming his dream, and he woke up, confused. Then here came three of his first-born to visit a while, Pucha, and Jaja and Eow. And it was good.Life was good. And somehow, he knew there would be more.