Bradford's Walk

by Denis O'Neill, Cyrus Quadland (Illustrator)

Overview

From the pen of accomplished writer Denis O'Neill and the paintbrush of Cyrus Quadland, comes Bradford, an irrepressible brown dog who delights all who join him on his daily walk through the beckoning Connecticut countryside... in a tale told in singsong rhyme.

"At the start of our walk, he's a pointer, I guess-aiming himself toward the sea. The sea is the Sound, by Long Island bound, and our walk is the ground in its lee."

In a small Connecticut town on the edge of Long Island Sound, Bradford bounds awake each morning when his owners' grown-up son comes home to stay. Begging to be taken for a walk, Bradford cajoles, whimpers, and cries until he gets his way and the walk begins. On the morning parade, Bradford barks "hello" to neighbors, fellow pups, and his favorite landmark-the sea. From romping in the bushes to his rampant indifference to cars encountered, Bradford

delights in each and every experience on the leisurely walk with his friend.

With colorful, bucolic illustrations and a lulling rhyme scheme, Bradford's Walk provides a comforting narrative to readers who love dogs.

Bradford's Walk is a perfect poetic outing for the young and old; both children and grown-up children. The dynamic duo of Denis O'Neill and Cyrus Quadland combine their unique talents of storytelling and art to create a gorgeous poetry picture book sure to be a classic for years to come.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798822918443
Publisher:	Palmetto Publishing
Publication date:	08/16/2023
Pages:	38
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	Up to 12 Years

About the Author

Denis O'Neill began his career as a magazine journalist, and as a writer/producer for Boston's public television station WGBH TV (Frontline, Mystery, Masterpiece Theatre, and other programs.).He is the author of four previously published books- Whiplash: When the Vietnam War Rolled a Hand Grenade into the Animal House, The River Wild, Pandemic Musings, and Canis Dirus. Besides the Universal Studios feature film, The River Wild, starring Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon, he also wrote the original screenplay for A Shot at Glory, an independent feature starring Robert Duvall and Michael Keaton. Mr. O'Neill currently lives in Southern California.

Cyrus Quadland began drawing and painting at an early age, later studying at St. George's School under the guidance of renowned watercolorist, the late Richard Grosvenor. During school, he received the Second General Excellence Prize at the annual New England Preparatory Schools Show. Cy is a Vietnam veteran and his art currently tours with the Uniting U.S. veterans show. Mr. Quadland currently lives in New York's Hudson Valley.

Editorial Reviews

2023-07-26
In an illustrated poetic narrative for all ages, a charismatic hound takes stock of his domain as he romps through his daily constitutional.

The human, unnamed narrator of this waggish tale is a former Connecticut native who’s recently traveled from a city, where he has an apartment, to visit his rural home. There, he’s roused from bed in the early morning by the nuzzling muzzle and insistent barks of Bradford, “a dog / in a very plain wrapper” who lives with the narrator’s mother. Bradford bounds off, leading the narrator to the shore of Long Island Sound. Along the rambling path to the water, the dog merrily lifts his leg to leave “his John Hancock / in five hundred places,” “hoovers up smells,” and ebulliently faces off with passing cars and other dogs “at the ends of their ropes.” The good-natured Bradford is equally at home racing along the sandy shore and squeezing through the gates of a seaside mansion to roll in its lush forbidden grass. Meanwhile, his human companion finds himself transported back to his youth, marveling at the restoration of an old “haunted” house and signaling to passing truckers who reward him with a booming honk of the horn. In unpretentious verse, O’Neill offers an idyllic odyssey in which a grown-up city dweller returns to the joys of childhood with a dog as his guide. Although the book is subtitled A Bit of Doggerel, its verse is as energetic as Bradford himself, with an irregular meter and unpredictable rhyme scheme that effectively stave off monotony. The tone is light and droll, and the narrative is peppered with canny imagery, including a comparison of jumping toy poodles to “popcorn popping” and a description of Bradford after the walk, flopping down exhausted “like a drunken, first mate.” Quadland’s watercolor illustrations are beautifully detailed and perfectly evoke the bucolic setting and Bradford’s adorable persona.

A charming depiction of simple pleasures.

Kirkus Reviews