As an avid video game enthusiast and reader, I love easter eggs. If you’re not familiar, ‘easter eggs’ refer to hidden details, messages, or elements that are subtly included for readers to discover. Easter eggs just make the story… better.
While I admit this definition creates some big shoes to fill, I did add a few Easter Eggs in The Odd Dog. Here are five that (I hope) you’ll find interesting!
The Collar Colors
In The Odd Dog, Odd begins the story by reminiscing about her time as a stray. My illustrator, Shannon, purposely draws her without a collar during her time without a family, and then includes the collar in the present. The color of Odd’s collar (say that five times fast!) is based on my dog’s collar when she first came to us. Many of her pictures were inspirations for Odd, including the car scene.
This is not the only place where collars provide a hidden message, however. If you see a dog with a rainbow collar that symbolizes a dog who has passed on to the rainbow bridge. These special dogs had owners who wanted them to be remembered in the pages of The Odd Dog. Every dog in the book holds a special place in my heart, and I’m honored that these owners trusted us to carry on their spirit.
What’s the deal with all the frogs?
My illustrator, Shannon, LOVES frogs, and no matter what book she illustrates, frogs are always present. I asked her to tell me a little more about why. Here’s her response:
I just love frogs 
My grandparents had a pond in their garden and growing up, I’d love finding as many frogs as I could. I never understood why people found them ugly because I thought they were beautiful and goofy – it’s an added bonus now that when my newborn nurses, her belly becomes so round she looks like a little frog 
My partner has a tattoo of the frog from Shrek (where shrek blows it up into a balloon) because it reminds him of me
I also try to sneak a teddy bear in where I can. I have a teddy called brown bear who’s been with me since the day I was born, so naturally, I have to (try) to get him in anywhere I can.
Read owl about it
When Odd is remembering her life before getting adopted, there’s a scene when she’s sleeping near a tree. In the tree above her, watching her sleep, is an owl.
That owl is actually from another book, Everyone’s Invited. The author, Katherine ‘Katie’ Lockwood, co-collaborated with me when I did a crowdfunding campaign for The Odd Dog. The owl is inspired by her daughter Rose. Rose suffers from Moebius syndrome, a rare condition that affects the facial muscles, including eye movements. Katie portrayed her as an owl because owls cannot move their eyes; they have to rotate their heads. She wanted to raise awareness of this disease and champion characters with other disabilities in her book, celebrating their differences. I can think of no better place for Rose to live than with Odd in the ‘wild’.
Barkville is REAL
When we first adopted our dog, Layla, we looked everywhere for places where she could meet other dogs. Luckily for us, Kansas City has many fine dog parks, but we couldn’t quite find one that fit her personality. Some were too loud, some too crowded, and a few were simply too far away to be practical.
One day, we heard about Barkville, which was supposedly located in the nearby town of Parkville. I rushed to Google Maps and there was no entry for it. I scoured post after post trying to figure out where it was.
I kid you not, it took me a MONTH to find it, mainly because Barkville is a nickname. When we finally found it, we immediately fell in love. Its expansive grounds, incredible scenery, and conscientious attendees have made it a wonderful place for Layla (and us) to make friends.
When we were envisioning the huge park scene, I knew Barkville needed to be where Odd’s parents took her. It’s my hope that our park brings readers as much joy as Barkville has brought us.
Why all the hot dogs?
When we picked up Layla for the first time, I remember her foster mom telling us that she didn’t like hot dogs or peanut butter. My husband and I marveled at this as these are almost universally beloved by dogs.
As we began learning more and digging into training, however, we noticed that these were common ‘high value’ foods, especially in shelters. Although Layla’s not telling, we think hot dogs and peanut butter reminded her of places she didn’t like. Interestingly, after a while she developed a taste for them again.
In spite of her strange aversion, I have noticed that dogs will literally do anything for a hot dog. As we were crafting the pages, I begged to have hot dogs be a running joke in the book. For fun, count how many times you find hot dogs (or corn dogs) in the book. You might be surprised.
Side note: I have the ability to add scratch n’ sniff to my books, and toyed with the idea of making a few pages hot-dog scented. We decided this wasn’t the best decision since we thought dogs might be a little TOO interested in the pages.
A final note about Easter Eggs
In addition to being fun, there are a few reasons I wanted to include Easter Eggs in The Odd Dog:
- Engagement – Easter Eggs can make reading more engaging and interactive. When children discover them, it’s my hope that it enhances their reading experience and makes the book more memorable.
- Encourages close reading – Easter Eggs encourage young readers to pay attention to details, fostering a deeper appreciation for the story and illustrations. This is especially true with The Odd Dog because we purposely created a high illustration/low word count story. In many ways, the illustrations are the bridge for the story. Without them, the story would have a greatly reduced impact.
- Stimulating curiosity – finding easter eggs can spark curiosity and a love for reading, encouraging exploration in more books and stories.
I hope this initial list of Odd Easter Eggs has increased your enjoyment of The Odd Dog. Many children’s book employ easter eggs, and I encourage your family to always take a second look and discover what you can.
If you’re interested in reading (or re-reading) the Odd Dog, sign up for my mailing list and you’ll be able to preview an eBook version of the book for free, or you can buy your own copy from my bookshop. Don’t be surprised if there’s a little easter egg in there when it arrives.
