Phoebe and Fred
It has been an uneventful summer, but by mid-morning, the serene country village of Harmony would be plunged into chaos and controversy. The Watson family, preparing breakfast, were startled by angry protests from an old sportscar at the back of their house, starting, stalling, and starting again.
The phone rang, “Henry, were you out with the bassets in your car this morning?””They got away from me and went solo.””The whole town’s talking!”
In his book Phoebe and Fred, author Nathaniel Johnson ushers readers into the extraordinary realm of Basset Hounds and displays how these uncommonly intelligent and affectionate animals might coax unsuspecting humans into their domain.
Reviews
Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford
Imagine singing these words to Beethoven’s marvelous tune of Ode to Joy: “Joyful, loyal, playful bassets,/ We all love the basset hound,/ Best of friends with kindest assets,/ They will never let you down./ Short on legs but not in spirit,/ Bassets will bring you heaps of fun,/ Give them treats of tasty fillet,/ While they nap in morning sun.” Sing it once and the tune and words will enrapture your mind for days. Now, imagine two such delightful basset hounds, Phoebe and Fred, howling along as they roar in their owner’s Jaguar recklessly through town. Yes, you’re right, the bassets have now stolen a car and are actually driving it. And that’s where the fun and adventure begin. Meanwhile, the owners have only just clued into the rambunctious activities of their basset hounds.
Nathaniel S. Johnson’s novella, Phoebe and Fred, is a rollicking chase after the hounds. Be prepared to laugh till you cry as this adventure unfolds with reckless abandon, much like the basset Jaguar drivers. Beginning with a placid, typical morning routine, the plot quickly evolves as the Watson family, innocently preparing their breakfast, learn that their beloved basset hounds have escaped. And, not only have they escaped, but they have roared off in Henry’s cherished Jaguar. If Henry wasn’t fully awake while preparing breakfast, the realization that the hounds had run off with his car certainly woke him up. The tension in the plot builds as the Jaguar recklessly plows through the small town. The story is told with the comfortable ease of a seasoned storyteller, with lots of descriptive narrative and compelling dialogue. Overall, this is a fun read for all ages, something to sit by the fireside on a cold winter’s night and share with the family.
Phoebe and Fred by Nathaniel S. Johnson is a delightful novella featuring two adorable basset hounds with exceptional abilities.
The bassets in Phoebe and Fred are cherished members of the Watson family. The Watsons and their adventurous hounds reside in Harmony, a quaint New England seaside village. When the bassets take the family’s jaguar for a ride through the community, it raises a kerfuffle among the residents. With the hounds becoming involved in social activities and more of their unique abilities being divulged, the main topics in everyday discussions center around the bassets and the Watsons, who have acquired the reputation of being a tad on the eccentric side. Life for the bassets and the Watsons takes a scary turn when an unfortunate incident puts the lives of the basset hounds in danger. Will the bassets be rescued or ignored by the villagers?
Johnson has written an amazingly creative story that includes fun-filled and serious interactions among the characters. There is a perfect combo of compelling and memorable characters with diverse personalities, communication styles, and behavioral tendencies. The author’s excellent use of sensory language paints vivid pictures in readers’ minds. It makes them feel as if they are standing next to the characters and experiencing everything the characters are going through.
Readers are drawn into this basset-centric story that will keep them enthralled from the first page to the end. The author has provided readers with an effortless reading experience, with the story flowing seamlessly from start to finish. It includes music and television shows enjoyed by the bassets, poetry written by a resident, Bible verses, and methods used for teaching the basset hounds how to communicate.
Phoebe and Fred is a story not to be missed. Readers will find the novella a fascinating read about a charming community whose existence is interrupted by the adventures of two basset hounds. A mixture of positive and negative viewpoints circulates among the villagers, with opposing schools of thought on how to resolve the disruption to the village. On the flip side, there is a community-inspired camaraderie at work among the residents, even with disagreements about the best way of dealing with two intelligent and adventurous basset hounds that appear to have taken on human-like characteristics.
Quill says: A marvelously entertaining and heart-touching story that draws you into the wondrous world of clever and spunky basset hounds.
The Watsons live in a big house up on a hill, and the whole town is talking about them. Or, maybe more accurately, they’re talking about their dogs.
Phoebe and Fred, a pair of basset hounds, have been drinking some Basset Brain Broth, watching educational television, and eating better food than you. This doesn’t usually bring out near-magical intelligence in dogs, but Phoebe and Fred are no normal dogs.
They’re bassets. They can talk, drive, and in this gossip-heavy small town, they’re capturing the attention of everyone. Some civilians, like Reverend Treadwell, aren’t exactly excited about it. But can those who are unhappy really do anything to stop the bassets from driving?
Phoebe and Fred is a dog lover’s dream. Who wouldn’t want to wake up to find that your dogs are not only capable of talking and doing math but driving you to work when you’re too sleepy in the morning? Author Nathaniel S. Johnson really fulfills the dog-parent fantasy with this light and funny book. If you’re in the mood for something that’s easy to read, silly to read, and sweet to read, you’ve come to the right place.
I particularly appreciated the ways in which the town is talking about them. An ensemble voice is shared by quirky characters in this odd small town, and they’ve either got a problem with the way the Watsons are doing doggie business or they’re fascinated by it. It’s hard to pull off the voices of so many different characters in a
story so small, but Johnson does it with seeming ease. I could see this author penning a brilliant small town mystery even if it is unrelated to dogs driving cars.
At times, I did long for a bit more from the story though. For the most part, the main pull of the story is that these bassets are very smart, but whenever I’m imagining it’ll take a new step in another silly enjoyable direction, it mentions the driving and the math and the reverend again. I’m definitely on board with genius dogs, but I do wish Johnson unleashed his creativity and let the weirdness drive us to a place that’s even weirder. It may need to include a content warning for those who are feeling a bit sensitive about your beloved former dog, too.
In the end, Phoebe and Fred is a novella you’ll definitely be telling your spouse and your neighbor and your mom about. It’s weird and funny and light and short and has dog main characters, so there’s a lot of love to go around.
Harmony is your typical village; secluded, close-knit, peaceful, and quiet. That was why the city-living Watsons found it to be the perfect spot to grow their little family. They added to their little family Phoebe and Fred, the brilliant Basset hounds, as well as a truckload of gossip and weary villagers. But, in a world where talking dogs are as impossible as flying pigs, will a loving family be enough to reassure the bassets that they will not again be thrown out and abandoned?
Phoebe and Fred by Nathaniel S. Johnson tells the story of two lovely not so ordinary basset hounds that found their way into a charming family. When Watson lost their dog, Billy Beau the Black Lab, Henry Watson was thrown into despair and almost swallowed by loneliness. His wife and kids thought a new addition to the family to replace their previous dog was the only way to save him, and it turned out the bassets were the best thing that happened to their whole family. Things, however, took a turn for the worse when one morning, the bassets did something that no ordinary dog could do.
Phoebe and Fred is a lighthearted story. I found the book straightforward and a solid read. There were not lengthy conversations, but they were sure long enough to warm my heart. The Bassets were particularly intriguing, and I was somewhat confused why the villagers were so weary of them. My blood boiled at some point, and I was dismayed by how petty Reverend Treadwell was and so delighted that Kyle, the sheriff, had some faith in the hounds.
Phoebe and Fred is a humorous story about two amazing Basset Hounds and the family that falls in love with them. The writing was immaculate, the characters were on point, and it was a delight to picture life in the small town in my head just from the description. Children will find this book an absolute delight, and fur parents might as well too.
Two rescued basset hounds with unique abilities take center stage in this novella.
The Watsons (Henry, Miranda, and their two children, 11-year-old Lydia and 10-year-old Lewis) are sitting at their breakfast table when they hear the engine of Henry’s old Jaguar XK-120 roadster roar. Sitting at the wheel is Fred, the younger of the two basset hounds they have adopted from a rescue shelter. By his side is Phoebe. Both bassets are wearing driving goggles, and they are off on a chaotic joyride that will rattle the quiet little village of Harmony. The unconventional Watsons, relative newcomers to Harmony, live in a ramshackle, Gothic structure high on a hill overlooking the village and have been the subject of suspicion among the gossips. Henry is an eccentric loner who works on new contraptions in his workshop, including a clever refitting of the Jaguar that makes it possible for the bassets to drive. Johnson describes Miranda as a “psychic and prognosticator,” and among her talents is the ability to whip up special Native American remedies and recipes. Realizing the bassets possess remarkable skills, she begins preparing a mixture of “Basset Brain Broth,” which increases their powers to communicate with their humans telepathically and sometimes even vocally. Johnson’s humorously quirky, free-wheeling novella follows the escapades of these precocious pooches. And along the way, he pens a biting takedown of the “harmony” in small-town life, as villagers divide into pro-canine and anti-canine contingents. The latter group is headed by the story’s chief villain, the black-coated, black-hatted Rev. Earnest O. Treadwell, a character whose rants eventually become tiresome. The thinly veiled parody of today’s divided social landscape—and the harm caused by bigotry and religious intolerance—has several moments of true poignancy, as when the bassets are unfairly accused of causing a fire and run away into the dangerous woods. So, there will be a few tears. The charming, feel-good work is best as a chapter book for the younger set, but it also offers passionate dog lovers an amusing, offbeat, wish-fulfillment fantasy.
An entertaining and imaginative canine tale with some well-targeted social messaging.
Goodreads
Reviewed by A. McCann
Find your favorite cozy chair, steep a cup of your best tea and dive into Nathaniel Johnson’s wonderful , fairy tale, love-letter to Basset Hounds everywhere, the people who adore them and the kind of quirky, village setting that dreams are made of. Mr. Johnson’s descriptive prose lets readers feel that they are literally ‘along for the ride’ with endearing dogs, Phoebe and Fred. The sentient nature and intelligence of the hounds will leave you smiling and with a story to remember long after their jaunty joyride has passed. A sweet read to be enjoyed by people of all ages!
