Today dogs are considered man’s best friends, but thousands of years ago the world was a very different place and dogs were animals to be feared. This all changes one autumn day when a young brother and sister wander too far from home and are captured by the Old Hag of the Wilderness. The terrified young children beg passing animals for help, yet none will come to the rescue. But then Dog comes along . . .?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Accompanied by charming watercolour illustrations, How Dog Became A Friend tells an enchanting story of how Dog left his cold and barren home to come and live among people.

Writer, actor, community activist and CBC producer, Paul O'Neill was born in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1928. Educated at St. Bonaventure's College in St. John's and the National Academy of Theater Arts in New York, O'Neill was an aspiring actor in the United States and England from 1949-1952, where he worked with well-known names such as Cloris Leachman and Eddie Albert. He began his career in radio in 1953 with the CBC in Newfoundland where he produced many radio shows and TV shows such as Reach for the Top, Skipper and Company and Music Craft, before retiring in 1986. O'Neill has written several books on Newfoundland history including, Breakers (1982), Legends of the Lost Tribe (1976) and The Oldest City (1975). In addition to his contributions on Newfoundland history O'Neill wrote a Spindrift and Morning Light- 1968, A Sound of Seagulls (1984), Upon This Rock, the story of the Roman Catholic Church in Newfoundland and Labrador (1984). He has served as the founding president of the Newfoundland Writers' Guild, chairman of the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council and president of the St. John's Folk Arts Council. In 1988, O'Neill was awarded an honorary LL.D by Memorial University of Newfoundland and in 1990, he was appointed to the Order of Canada. In 2004, he was awarded the Freedom of the City and in 2008, received Order of Newfoundland and Labrador. Paul O'Neill wrote his memoirs during the last years of his life. He passed away on August 13, 2013.

Paul O'Neill's profile page

Originally from Thunder Bay, Cynthia Colosimo has lived in Labrador for sixteen years where she has worked on a number of community development and heritage projects. She also illustrated Anguti’s Amulet, a story about an 18th century Inuit boy, based on the archaeology of the Adlavik Islands in Northern Labrador. Cynthia has a BFA in drawing from the University of Manitoba and an MFA in printmaking from Concordia University. She is married to an archaeologist and has one child, another aspiring artist.

Cynthia Colosimo's profile page

• Short-listed, Heritage and History Award

How Dog Became A Friend