This is my first go at a children’s book, and it was a blast to put together. It was inspired by my time in the Pacific Island Kingdom of Tonga as a Peace Corps volunteer and was designed to do some teaching about Tongan culture and Vava’u outer-island village life.

You can find the book on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Buster-Tongan-Dog-Goes-Exploring/dp/B08K3WF1KS

The manuscript was particularly fun to write. It was actually my first try at (admittedly imperfect) anapestic meter — going for that classic Dr. Seuss flow! Here’s the full script:

Ma’ake asks Buster, the brown Tongan dog,
“Where are you going today?”
He runs out the door, and he quickly responds,
“Just out for a short ‘eva pē.”

With a bound, he jumps over the old wooden fence—
the island is his to explore!
Wagging his tail, with no collar or leash,
he runs down the path to the shore.

Now, everyone knows Buster’s too scared to swim,
but the beach is so full of surprises!
He chases the crabs and digs holes in the sand,
finding all sorts of treasure and prizes.

Some fishermen coming back home from the sea
he is always excited to greet.
They pull in their boats and they pack up their spears,
and then gladly throw Buster a treat.

Next, on his ‘eva, he runs to the bush,
passing mango and banana trees.
To the farmers, all plowing their cassava fields,
he greets every person he sees.

And families of many animal friends
are all Buster’s playmates today.
He plays games of tag with the chickens and pigs,
and horses greet him with a “neigh.”

He barks a “hello” to some more Tongan dogs—
his very best friends in the town.
He even attempts to play games with the cats,
but they only “hiss” with a frown.

Enjoying his ‘eva, he sees the church hall
where women weave mats in a room.
When Buster goes in, he tracks mud on the mats,
and they chase him away with a broom.

But the kids in the village ask Buster to play—
he’s their most favorite dog of them all!
They wrestle and run and play all kinds of games
like throwing and fetching a ball.

Then happy and tired, he sees his front yard
and heads home, running straight for the door.
The neighbors call out as he sprints towards the house
and bursts in to lie down on the floor.

“What did you see on your ‘eva today?”
Ma’ake asks him with a grin.
“Not much,” Buster says with a smile and a wink,
“But tomorrow, I’ll ‘eva again.”