He and Molly, his Labrador friend and collaborator on this project, have written a dog story of epic proportions. In a far-off desert world, evolution has taken an unexpected turn. The dominant life form is a creature covered in fur with steel panels beneath. It gnaws on bones and sniffs lampposts but fills up on oil, brake fluid, and petrol to keep running. And it's wonderfully clever with its wheels and side-view mirrors -- able to do just about anything, in fact -- which is lucky since it doesn't have arms or legs. It's an animal with an engine. Or is it a machine with floppy ears and a wet nose? Either way, it's known as a TruckDog. And this is the story of how the world of TruckDogs was saved by a most young and unlikely hero.

    But her prison is far from ordinary, and the story of their relationship becomes a tale of romance that has delighted readers for more than a century. Illustrated.