The Great Escape: Astro's Adventures

By Susan Day

If you and your family love dogs you are going to love this fun children’s story. The characters are all based on real dogs and cats and, just like your pet at home, they will warm your heart. They are unique and a bit flawed but you’ll love them all the same.

The story is about a secret organisation exists without detection and operates right under our very noses. Its sole purpose is to save dogs from neglect. This is the first book in the Astro Adventure’s series and it will delight and entertain your family with its fast moving plots and funny storylines.

This tale of spies and mystery is full of twists and turns. The secret organisation is manned by a tunnel digging terrier who carries a diamond encrusted nail file. A large dog for which the complexities of door handles are a complete mystery and who, instead, opens everything with his head. As well as, a commando, khaki wearing Blue heeler who is armed with a hunting bone and a smell grenade. And that’s just to name a few!

In this great children's book, The Great Escape, we meet Astro, possibly one of the most spoilt dogs in the world, who calls on this secret organisation to save him from what he falsely assumes is imprisonment.

Commander Rocky, head of The Organisation, decides to teach Astro how lucky he is by taking him to the one place all dogs dread, The Check Out! It is a place where unwanted and rejected dogs are sent – never to be seen again! However, things don’t go to plan and Commander Rocky learns that below the shallow exterior of a grey shaggy dog is a brave, kind hearted hero.

A hero called Astro.

Reviews:
“This is a delightful, enjoyable story for readers of all ages, from children to parents to grandparents and beyond. It is humorous, fast-paced, with well-developed characters that you will find adorable. And yes, the story has a message, a takeaway that is both inspiring and worthy of reflection after the reading is done...” – Thomas Baker

“This book was a lot of fun. Author Susan Day has a unique take on animals and how we perceive them. I laughed several times and found myself absorbed by the story. I am looking forward to more books from this interesting and highly entertaining writer...” Big Apple

• Language: English
• Publisher: Susan Day
• Release date: Jul 26, 2011
• ISBN: 9780987174017

Susan Day

Susan is an author, canine behaviourist, and a storyteller. She lives with her family and dogs, in particular, Rocky the Border collie and Stella, the blind dog. She spends her time blogging, writing and illustrating; training and counselling dogs and being bossed around by the family cat, Speed Bump Charlie and his sidekick, Furball (see Dogs in Space). Susan travelled around the world twice before she was seven years old. It seemed only fitting that the wonderful events she experienced and the places she visited on these journeys be recorded for history. Thus, her story telling skills began. Firstly, to Rupert Bear, her lifelong companion, and then to a host of imaginary friends and finally to her pet dog once the family finally set down roots in Australia. Susan is passionate about children's literature and wants to inspire children to be better people and encourage them to follow their dreams. She runs workshops for children teaching them how to form the wonders of their imaginations into stories. Susan lives in a small country town where there are more kangaroos than people. She shares her country property with four dogs, three cats, three rescue guinea pigs and a very large fish and her patient husband. More about her adventures are reflected in Clarence the Snake from Dunolly.

Book preview

Astro’s Adventures: The Great Escape

by

Susan Day

SMASHWORDS EDITION

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PUBLISHED BY:

Susan Day on Smashwords

Astro’s Adventures: The Great Escape

Copyright © 2011 by Susan Day

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

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Astro’s Adventures. The Great Escape

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to all the dogs of the world that don’t have a warm bed to curl up in, toys to play with or a cat to chase.

Proceeds from the sale of this book will go to rescue shelters to help you all.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author would like to acknowledge the nagging efforts of Georgina Barrot without which this book would never have been finished. She would also like to acknowledge her wonderful family who believed in this project and helped by adding their ideas and suggestions and put up with her creating alternative lives for the family pets.

CHAPTER 1

For many many years the good people of the planet Earth have shared their homes, their back yards and most of their food with one special species: The Dog. The importance of this symbiotic relationship has been well documented by humans in poems, movies and even on internet sites such as facebook, dogtree and twitter. As many people are becoming wealthier, they have generously given their dogs more care and comfort at unprecedented levels.

For the most part, dogs seem to be on the receiving end taking what is given and doing their part in the areas of home security, general obedience and licking the dishes clean.

However, there is a special organisation responsible for the wellbeing of dogs. Its main goal is to make sure that all dogs are provided with a proper home, a nice warm bed and a cat to chase. This organisation is kept secret from every human being and operates, as you are about to see, right under our very noses….

Email:

From: Astro’s Mum

To: J. E. Daily

Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 6:24 PM

Subject: Hi

Hi Julie,

Hope you’re ok?

Wanna hear something funny? This is what my silly dog did today.

I took Astro for his doggie massage to heal his leg. In the rain, Mr. Agile came bounding up the veranda stairs slipped and stacked full force into the top stair – yep, full force on his sore leg – you know, the one he’d injured on the off leash walks.

It shames me to admit but I did not play the heroic role. I became hysterical and completely embarrassed poor Astro. He has to stay inside for two weeks – doctor’s orders. I have never seen him so sad; he is not even trying to put Nigel’s head in his mouth!! You remember Nigel, my beautiful snow white cat! 

Astro says hi to your dogs.  He wants me to pass on a message to Spot.

Astro's words – Hey Spot, my mum won’t let me out to play. She says that until my leg gets a lot better I am not allowed to run off leash with you and the other dogs. I think she is trying to punish me for eating her book - She claims she is not but it sure feels like I am imprisoned. I haven’t had a walk in over a week! I am a PRISONER!!!!

Meanwhile, in an underground building somewhere in a quiet suburb a computer sounds an alarm and a dachshund named Hans let out a yelp of excitement.

Sir, Sir! Our electronic detection monitor intercepted this email. Sir? It’s urgent!

Hans spun away from his desk and skittered over to Commander Rocky.

"We only have part of the message; the rest hasn’t come through. It’s completely scrambled, but you can clearly see the last line: I am imprisoned. I haven’t had a walk in over a week! I am a PRISONER!!!!

Commander Rocky read it carefully and shook his head. Leave it to me. I’ll take control of this one, he said. We will get word to him immediately.

Commander Rocky turned