Mister Mushy – The Ugliest Dog in The Land
Aleksander L. Nordaas
As children being the most beautiful to their parents, so are dogs to their pet parents. But life is not easy. What happens when a little girl’s dog is mocked and rejected at a dog show, just because the judges think he is ugly? Mister Mushy – The Ugliest Dog in the Land is a heart-warming book on this ugly dog who eventually proves his mettle and wins hearts.
Mister Mushy – The Ugliest Dog in The Land is second book of Aleksander L Nordaas, a Norwegian filmmaker and self-publishing author. “I didn’t really set out to write Mister Mushy – one day he just sat there. So stuck with this large, weird and drooling dog in my brain, I had to get him out by putting him into a story – a story that was both fun and exciting, and which also had valuable thematics. I wanted to create something new and preferably slightly offbeat, but it also has to be something that people can relate to – and hopefully something that sparks their thoughts,” he shares. The book is currently being crowdfunded through Kickstarter. Earlier, the book was printed in Norway in 2013 but the publisher did not bring its second print and so Aleksander self-published it.
Lively illustrations
The book is alive with lovely illustrations by Yngvill Hopen, who is a concept artist with a background in traditional art and a passion for storytelling. She finished her master’s degree of concept art for games and animation in 2012 and then co-founded the games studio Henchman & Goon AS.
The storyline…
Mister Mushy is the medieval-set story about the ugliest dog in the land, at least in most people’s eyes. Through the eyes of his little pet parent, Mushy is the prettiest and dearest dog ever. So naturally, she signs him up for a dog show, where he’s mocked, laughed at and even disqualified from the competition. But shortly after, the town is attacked by a dragon! With jaws wide open, it aims for the princess in the tower. Who can save her from becoming dragon dinner? Well! Our very own Mushy. “Thematically, the story is about anti-bullying, true friendship and self-worth – pillars on which a happy childhood and adulthood rest. All of them easier said than understood, done and maintained…perhaps especially for our kids, growing up in this strange place. When they see schoolyard bullies become presidents, where do we as adults start explaining the rights and wrongs? How do we make them choose hugs over elbows? If Mushy can help spark just a little thought, reflection or conversation, then me and him are both very much satisfied,” tells Aleksander.
Target audience…
Mister Mushy –The Ugliest Dog in The Land is primarily meant for children in the age group of 4-10 years, but it’s of course suited for children of all ages. “And I guess pet parents will like it too – who can relate to loving their dog, no matter how he looks, acts and sounds like,” adds Aleksander.
What’s more?
In 2014, Mister Mushy – The Ugliest Dog in The Land was available as an interactive eBook on App Store and Google Play. The eBook was happily chosen as a “Golden Award Winner” by Mom’s Choice Awards.