Gobi: A Little Dog With a Big Heart Children’s Book

It’s very possible that at some point in the past year you’ve come across the extraordinary story of ultra-marathoner Dion Leonard and Gobi, the small stray dog who, in June 2016, became his unlikely companion during the grueling Gobi Desert Run — and subsequently inspired a worldwide, against-all-odds search to see them reunited after becoming separated in a city of more than three million people.

* Complimentary Children’s Book was Received.

On August 29, 2017, parents and young readers can share in experiencing this powerful true story of friendship, compassion, courage, and love with the release of Gobi: A Little Dog With a Big Heart, a picture book for children ages 4-8 years of age.

“Finding Gobi was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done, but her finding me was one of the best things I’ve ever experienced,” says Dion, who on June 13th, 2017 released the adult trade paperback edition of Finding Gobi to rave reviews.

“Before we met, Gobi was on her own for an unknown period of time. We have no idea what she saw, experienced, felt, or even ate while she was in the desert,” he continues. “I think it’s an especially important thing for kids to remember, that we never know each other’s stories. We never know what our friend or our classmate, or even sometimes our family members are going through, which makes it even more important to always be kind to the people who come into our lives.”

Much, much more than a ‘man meets dog’ story, Gobi is a truly heartwarming, true-to-life tale that will uplift and inspire people of all ages and backgrounds. Among the topics and messages both the picture book and YRE promote include:

* Adopt, don’t shop! Animal welfare and reframing the way children and families look at rescue and shelter dogs.

* Hope, even in difficult circumstances: There is always a light at the end of the tunnel, and you never know where you’ll make new friends.

* Community: How the kindness of strangers across the globe helped to bring Dion and Gobi back together against seemingly impossible odds.

* China and the Gobi Desert! Fun facts about the country, culture, and people of this far-flung part of the world.

* Perseverance, courage, and working through obstacles: Valuable life lessons from the physical and mental challenges ultra-marathoners face.

My Thoughts: I sit down almost every night and read a book to my two children, right before bedtime. Books that feature animals in one way or another are always at the top of their list.

GOBI: A Little Dog with a Big Heart is an adorable children’s book written by author Dion Leonard. It has beautiful & artistic illustrations by Lisa Manuzak. The story is extremely well-written and in a format that almost every child will understand. It teaches them important lessons like how important it is to be nice to animals (in this case a dog), the special friendship & bond that can occur, how to persevere about doing what’s right and important, how to work through obstacles to get what you want and so forth.

My son is almost 2 years old and my daughter is 8 years old, both of them enjoy this book! Grant ya, my 8 year old understands the message and story line a lot better than my son. We received this book about a month ago and have read it numerous times. It has quickly become one of their favorite books to read during story time.

You can learn more about Finding Gobi by visiting the website online. There are 3 versions of the book & story available. One for adults, one for early readers and then the picture book for young children. You can connect with them on Facebook too!

* This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, we may or may not receive a small commission which helps to support this site. Thank you!

Disclaimer: Jenelle C. has personally reviewed the product listed above. Jenelle has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Jenelle did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ.  Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering the giveaways. Thanks!