Title: Corky Tails: Tales of a Tailless Dog Named Sagebrush (Sagebrush and the Never Summer Mountains)
Author: Joni Franks
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1-6698-2258-5
Pages: 40
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
Reviewed by: Carol Davala

Read Book Review

Joni Franks is an award-winning author intent on using her artful writing to make a difference in the world by addressing timely subjects like environmental conservation, and recognizing that all beings are created equal. Her latest work of Sagebrush and the Never Summer Mountains is the seventh book in the popular Corky Tails series that follows the adventures of a tailless dog and her cohorts.

This time around Sagebrush journeys though a mystifying Alpine region surrounded by snow-capped peaks and ensconced with 600-year-old trees, chokecherry bushes, yellow-bellied marmots and coal-black squirrels. Her intentions are to help clear a major landslide which has blocked Froze Creek and cut off the local water supply for a village of miniature inhabitants known as the Shuns. Along with her little friends Clover Leaf and Firefly, and the cattle rancher Young Miss who provided these characters with a forever home, the story brings to light the importance of teamwork and shows the inconsideration of individuals who make judgements about others based solely on appearances. Like many fairytales, Franks also weaves a quiet element of blissful romance between two pint-sized, smitten characters within the story.

When this traveling quartet encounters a local hunter in fear of what he thinks is a dangerous forest dweller, it ignites a lesson about our inability to control what others think or say about us, though we don’t have to believe there is truth in their words. Here the rendering of the so-called monster known as “Wooly Man” is a huge chimp-like being with an expressive human face, a body covered in reddish-brown fur, and the careful balancing of a delicate butterfly on the tip of his finger. The charming image speaks to the peaceful quality of this gentle giant.

Illustrations throughout the book are bright and colorful and appropriately correspond to the actions of the detailed narrative. Clearly the Shun characters embody fairy-like qualities with their pointed ears and leaf-decorated attire. Known as “keepers of the forest” and knowledgeable about natural medicinal remedies, Franks’ descriptive voice reflects their essence within the beauty of the outdoor world. Through her writing Frank draws inspiration from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains where she makes her home, and intentionally uses the mountainous western landscape to create imaginative story concepts that help change the world.

Thematically this is an engaging tale that revolves around sentiments of faith, hope, and love. The story represents a positive reinforcement of friendship and overcoming obstacles with group efforts, seeing brightness in the future, and experiencing love and admiration for those who defend individual talents and uniqueness. Sagebrush and the Never Summer Mountains is an entertaining read for both youngsters and the adults who look to guide them with valuable life lessons.