Sammy's Back

Loyal readers will recall that last year we reviewed a book called The Adventures of Sammy the Wonder Dachshund, Sammy's Last Week in Charleston. Now we're happy to announce that true to his word, Jonathan Miller, Sammy's chronicler, has brought him back for another story, this one subtitle Sammy On Safari.

At the end of his first adventure, Sammy bid farewell to his beloved Charleston, SC, to take a job with an Internet company. The new book finds him promoted to Field Fact Checker for the International Internet Corporation and sent to Africa to refute or confirm Web-based rumors that kangaroos live on that continent. (Well, come on, you knew that someone was in charge of making sure all the information on the Internet is factual, didn't you?)

On his arrival, Sammy rents a truck and sets out into the bush for an authoritative source on the matter. What he finds, instead, is animal after animal who needs help that only Sammy can supply. We particularly liked the illustration of Sammy with his hand-held microphone, telling jokes to hyenas who have lost their sense of humor.

When hope seems gone, Sammy finally finds the irrefutable source he needs, while dodging the greatest threat the jungle holds. And that's all we're going to tell you.

As in the first book, Miller illustrates Sammy's adventures with meticulously constructed collages. To quote the end papers, he went through "3 pounds of construction paper, 6 cans of spray glue, 26 X-Acto blades, 11 pencils and lost count around the 297th hour of work on this book."

If you read Sammy's first, you'll definitely want this one, which comes in hardback and has "dachshund" spelled correctly on the cover. If you haven't read his first book, you will want – you should want – both. They're available at Sammy's Web site: www.sammydogbooks.com. Tell Sammy that Dachshund Delights sent you.