Finding Gobi: Young Reader's Edition: The True Story of One Little Dog's Big Journey

By Dion Leonard

Bring home the amazing true dog story of a friendship so strong that it crosses the globe! You will love the inspiring tale of Gobi, a lost dog who kept pace with an ultramarathon runner, Dion Leonard, across a vast desert. Follow their unlikely friendship through the challenges of an 80-mile race and Dion's struggle to bring Gobi home for good.

Finding Gobi: The True Story of One Little Dog's Big Journey tells the gripping real-life adventure story of how Gobi followed Dion through the treacherous conditions of the Gobi desert and how, afterward, Dion searched the world for his four-legged friend in order to bring him home.

This young reader's edition

• adapts the bestselling adult book for 8- to 12-year-olds
• includes color photos
• shows that friendship is more important than winning
• is a perfect classroom or family read-aloud book

This heartwarming tale of friendship, loyalty, and determination is sure to delight and surprise any young dog lover.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Aug 29, 2017
• ISBN: 9780718075323

Dion Leonard

Dion Leonard is a 41 year old Australian who lives in Edinburgh, Scotland with his wife Lucja. Dion has not only completed but competed in some of the world’s toughest ultra marathons across the planet’s most inhospitable landscapes. This includes running across the brutal Moroccan Sahara desert twice in the 250km Marathon Des Sables and also twice across South Africa's Kalahari Desert, also 250km. Dion's latest 250km race across the Gobi Desert in China turned out to be a completely different race where he fell in love with a stray dog (later named Gobi) that followed him during the week and who would change both of their lives forever.  

Book preview

ONE

HEY, CHECK OUT THE DOG! A MAN SHOUTED from somewhere in the crowd. Maybe it’s here for the race!

Is that right, girl? another man asked, bending down to scratch her behind the ears. Are you here to run with us?

The dog didn’t know what to make of all this. There were a lot of people, more than she would have expected out here away from town and right on the edge of the desert. Most of them were dressed funny, but they were nice. Many of the runners stopped to pet her, and more than a few gave her scraps of food.

She was hungry. She was always hungry. She couldn’t remember a time when she hadn’t been hungry. These people seemed to like her, and when she danced around them they fed her. So she danced. And got fed. And everyone was happy.

Then she saw him. He wasn’t feeding her. He wasn’t laughing or shouting. He wasn’t even standing with most of the other people. He was off to the side, shifting back and forth on his big feet. He was tall and skinny, and dressed all in bright yellow. He looked funny, but he wasn’t smiling.

The dog didn’t know what to make of this tall man. But she decided that she wanted to find out more about him.

Well, hello there, Dion Leonard muttered, glancing down at the small bundle of sandy-colored fur bounding around his feet. Where did you come from?

She wasn’t a very big dog, he noticed. She was small and compact, and she had big dark eyes and tufts of fur around her mouth that made it look as though she had a mustache and beard. He’d seen her with a bunch of the other runners earlier, doing tricks for food. But for some reason she’d singled him out.

It was probably his gear. Dion’s running clothes and even his shoes were all bright yellow. He knew he probably lit up like a neon light.

He reached down and patted the dog, but he didn’t have time to give her too much attention. Today’s portion of the race was about to start, and he needed to be ready.

This multistage ultra race would stretch in six stages over seven days and cover almost 155 miles. Dion had never been to China before, but he had done other multistage races like this. He used to be good at them. Then he’d hurt his leg. It had been a while since he’d entered a race, and he was worried. This was his last chance, he figured. If he didn’t do well in this race, he might as well just quit completely.

He didn’t want to quit, though. He wanted to compete well—not necessarily come in first; he wasn’t expecting that, but make it into the top handful, at least. Even placing fourth would be enough to show that he could still do this.

Yesterday had been the first day and he had come in third, so that was an excellent start. But to stay in that top handful, he needed to concentrate. And that meant not spending any more time with somebody’s dog, no matter how cute she was.

Better get back to your owner now, he murmured, leaning over to pet her one last time. She looked up at him with those big eyes, almost as if she understood him, and barked once. But she didn’t go away.

Take your positions! one of the race organizers shouted. Everyone tensed and moved to the starting line, completing final stretches. Dion was already done with all of that. He just made sure his shoes were tied tight and his backpack was securely on, and concentrated on the path up ahead. Little pink flags marked the way.

The starting gun sounded, and they were off! Dion didn’t try to push past people. This wasn’t that kind of race. You had to keep up a good pace, but it was more about endurance than bursts of speed. He knew enough to pace himself. The racers who sprinted out in front now would be worn-out later. He had plenty of time.

He concentrated on his footing and his pace but was startled when a small blur appeared by his foot. It was the dog! She hadn’t gone away, and now she was running alongside him! Her little legs moved fast, but she was keeping pace.

Despite himself, Dion laughed. All right, he told her. If you want to come with me, you can. As long as you can keep up.

The dog barked in response. And kept right on running.

This is fun! the little dog thought. The bright-yellow man was nice after all—he’d petted her and talked to her, and he’d laughed when she started running with him. She liked to run. It was nice to feel the fresh air and watch the ground speeding by beneath her feet. He seemed to like it too. So she settled in and ran with him. They ran together.

A lot of runners listened to music when they ran. Dion didn’t most of the time—he preferred to keep his eyes and ears open. But he did get lost in his thoughts. A part of his brain concentrated on his footing, and the path, and the sun overhead, and the other runners. But a lot of him just tuned out. He thought about his wife, Lucja, back in Edinburgh, his job, his friends, his family. It helped the time pass quickly.

He wasn’t too surprised when he glanced down at one point and didn’t see any sign of the dog. She must have gotten bored or tired or distracted and decided to quit. That was fine. It had been nice having someone to run with, but Dion wasn’t here to make friends, even with a dog.

He was here to compete at his best. And now that he didn’t have to worry about tripping over the dog, he picked up his pace even more.

Time to get serious about this race.

Dion wasn’t sure how much time had passed—maybe an hour, maybe two—when he noticed a shadow near his feet again. The dog was back! He hadn’t heard her return, but she fell back into step beside him as if she’d never been away.

Welcome back, he told her, and she barked once. She didn’t seem to mind the new pace either. For such a little dog, she was fast! And she had stamina too. They’d already been out here for hours, and it was hot, with no shade around for miles. Dion didn’t mind, and apparently the dog didn’t either. That was fine. Let’s keep moving, he told her, and she just wagged her tail in response.

The dog stayed with him for a while after that. Then the trail led across a small creek. It was about three feet wide, and Dion jumped across without even slowing down. The dog didn’t follow, though. Her legs were much too short to jump that distance. And the water that ran through the creek was much too fast for her to wade across. Instead she sat down and barked at him, as if she was calling for him to stop. Then she whimpered a bit too. She sounded so sad!

Dion didn’t stop, though. He couldn’t. He had a race to run, and she wasn’t even his dog! Instead he just put her out of his mind and concentrated on running.

Dion had covered only a few feet when the barking and whimpering stopped. Then, not ten minutes later, he saw a flash of brown, and the dog was back by his side again. She must have jumped the creek after all, he thought. Or somehow gone around.

Dion laughed. Determined little thing, aren’t you? he asked. She barked in reply.

When he reached the next checkpoint, people cheered him on. But they cheered the dog even more! There’s that dog again! they shouted.

The dog wagged her tail and barked happily at the people. They were excited to see her, and she was happy to see them too. Someone gave her some food, and someone else gave her some water.

But she never let the man in yellow out of her sight. There was something about him, something she really liked. He was special.

He sat for a few minutes, talking to some of the other people. But when he rose to his feet and headed out of the tent, she followed. And when he started to run again, she was right beside him.

Dion had to admire the little dog. She didn’t know when to quit! Well, neither did he. The path led up into the mountains, which was tough. Then back down, which was even tougher because he had to worry more about keeping his balance and not falling. He could feel himself getting tired, but he refused to stop or slow down. One of the other runners, Tommy Chen from Taiwan, was out in front. He was really popular, and everyone figured he’d win. He’d come in first yesterday. Another guy, Julien from Romania, had come in second. Dion had been third. Not bad for the first day and his first race back. But Tommy, Julien, and another runner, Zeng from China, were all ahead of him already. Still, Dion managed to come in a close fourth. He was happy with that. It meant he was still in third place overall.

The dog had been right beside him when he crossed the day’s finish line. Even Tommy had noticed. That dog, man! he told Dion. It’s been following you all day!

Has it had any water? one of the volunteers asked.

Dion frowned. I have no idea, he admitted. Maybe it drank at some of the streams on the way. Someone set out a small bucket of water, and the dog practically attacked it. Dion felt a little bad about that. Still, it wasn’t as though she was his dog.

When he started to move away, the dog looked up from the water. Then she trotted over to him. And that was that. She followed him to the tent he’d been assigned for the race and went inside with him. He’d brought an inflatable mattress with him—normally he wouldn’t have, because you had to carry all of your own gear,

Reviews for Finding Gobi

[true54blue · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the story of Dion Leonard who finds his salvation in Gobi a cute little mutt who chose him while he was running across the Gobi desert. I'm still trying to decide if Dion is afflicted with cynophilia or cynomania but it's clear he has a thing for Gobi. You'll learn something about running ultramarathons and a little about finding lost dogs in China. You'll learn a lot about what it means to be obsessed over a cute four-legged friend.

[billsearth · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I would label this book a memoir of a runner through midlife, with emphasis on a stray dog he encounters.The author combines his story with the story of a stray dog the he eventually adopts.His story is of growing up as a rejected child during the age of 10 to 15, and somewhat lost and drifting from then forward.The dogs story is of a stray with a strong personality who attaches immediately to one of a hundred runners crossing the Gobi desert.Together the two build strong bonds, the man's feeling of being uncared for dissipates, and the dog becomes family.The last integral component of the story is the difficulty in bringing a stray dog from China to England. There is a minor story of finding the dog after a mix of undependable and selfish people interfere with the effort to bring the dog home, causing a major search by some dependable people, and revealing the good of the Chinese people and the mixed characteristics of the Chinese government.This is a good read fro those who enjoy the complexities of human nature and the good personality traits of most dogs.

[parvita-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Anyone who love dogs should read this book. It tells how loyal and dependant dogs are and how big their love are. I am a triathlete, I have three adopted dogs and one was a stray. Two are my running buddies. I couldn’t put the book down just curious how it will end.

[sraelling · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I learned a lot about ultra marathons.

[jhullie-3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's 4am and I just finished this book. A beautiful story of doggy devotion and perseverance. Dion's determination to save his little friend and to give her a forever home is inspirational. If you love dogs you absolutely must read this.

[maggieflo_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This story would have been a good article in a magazine. It is not interesting enough to warrant a full length book.Dion Leonard is an ultra marathoner, originally from Australia and currently living in Edinburgh. The story is about his race in the Gobi desert in China and how a little blond brown dog follows him for the duration. Sometimes Gobi ran, others times she was transported by car. At the end of the race, Dion decides that he will bring the dog back to Edinburgh. The rest of the story deals with GobiI going missing, Dion and friends launching a crowd funding campaign, dealing with the Chinese bureaucracy, immigration, language issues and finally success.

[ellenh_28 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the Trempealeau County Reads title for the year. I enjoyed this story of Gobi choosing Dion in the race in China and the search for her when she goes missing. Searching in China for a dog involves language, political and emotional support for Dion in ways I hadn't thought of. She captured my heart. Too bad the Coronavirus may prevent any of the planned events surrounding this.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

While I found the descriptions of Deon's marathons rather boring, I did admire his determination to save Gobi from a life as a little stray in China. Gobi's story was touching and I loved how so many people, worldwide, supported Deon's efforts through social media. Gobi's journey wasn't an easy one, but thanks to the generosity of strangers, and her tenacious spirit, she finally found love, peace and her forever home. A sweet story.

[daftboy1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a feel good book.Dion Leonard is an ultra runner as he runs through the Gobi desert he meets a little mongrel dog he calls her Gobi.She runs with him,stays in his tent. They both grow attached to each other. After the race he wants to adopt her and take her back home to Scotland, there is a lot of red tape she goes missing. Eventually he manages to take her back to Edinburgh. Nice heart warming story.

[smits_52 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is quite an amazing true story. It is one of those feel good stories. It is told honestly and straightforwardly. I really like Dion Leonard and also learned a lot about the how and really the WHY someone runs in these long distance brutal races through deserts etc. Then to hear how Gobi just attaches himself to Dion and how Dion takes in this little dog with the big heart. Next the battle to help Gobi come to live with Dion in Scotland. A great read.!!!

[narilka · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Finding Gobi is the story about how ultra-marathon runner, Dion Leonard, met a stray dog while competing on a race through China's Gobi Desert. The pup won the hearts of everyone who was part of the race, participants and staff alike. Dion knew he couldn't leave her behind - he somehow had to find a way to take her home with him to Scotland.This story was so heartwarming. Gobi is an amazing dog. She completed the equivalent of two marathons as she ran to keep up with Dion during the race. She's lucky everyone involved had a kind heart. It's amazing how many people volunteered to help get this little dog to her new home, even when it looked like she might not make it. The story helped restore a little of my faith in humanity.

[carlathelibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After reading the picture book version of Gobi, the little dog with the big heart, I wanted to read this version. Dion Leonard came across Gobi while running a grueling 72 mile race, part of it through the Gobi Desert. When the little dog seemed to attach herself to Dion and run with her, he named her Gobi. The first part of this book describes the race, events that occurred, meeting Gobi and deciding to take her home to Edinburgh. The second part of the story is the difficulties Dion encountered trying to get Gobi home. Between the red tape, finding Gobi when she went missing and the culture of the area in China and their attitude toward dogs, it seemed like it was going to be an impossible task.

I enjoyed both parts of this book. The camaraderie the runners shared even though they were competing against each other was heartwarming. The dangerous situations and how they were solved were very interesting. In the second part, I felt Dion's pain when he could not bring Gobi home with him. When he found out Gobi was missing, I felt like crying along with him. I am an animal lover, but what Dion and his wife went through is amazing. The people he met that helped him along the way restores my belief in the goodness of others. This is a good book to read if you are an animal lover, a runner or sports enthusiast or just someone who wants to feel good about other people. A great book for a school or public library. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.