— Downeast Dog Scouts Troop 159 is partnering with schools and libraries in and around MDI for an innovative program to encourage kids to write creatively and read with imagination. Children age ten and under will use Island Dog, a picture book by South Portland artist Rebecca Goodale, as inspiration to create their own stories

The Island Dog Creative Writing Project, made possible by a grant from the Hattie A. and Freddie C. Lynam Trust, is based on Ms. Goodale’s depiction of coastal Maine through a day in the life of a friendly, adventurous canine. Because the book is composed solely of pictures, there are endless possibilities for children to write the story themselves. According to Aprile Gallant, a curator at the Portland Museum of Art, Island Dog provokes the imagination, delights the senses, and is both inventive and endlessly entertaining.”

Kids can choose between writing individually and collaborating with a buddy or group. Participating children and groups will have the opportunity to enter their own creations in a contest for fun and prizes. Stories will be judged by a panel coordinated by Pat Horton,Youth Services Librarian at the Blue Hill Library. All participants will receive a certificate of accomplishment. Submissions will be accepted through Saturday, April 3rd. The Island Dog Celebration will be held on Thursday, May 6th from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Camp Beech Cliff on Mount Desert Island.

Through this program, the Downeast Dog Scouts hope to promote positive relationships between kids and canines, and to foster community spirit by encouraging children to use their coastal Maine home as a springboard for their creations.

The publisher of Island Dog is Brooklin Maine’s Two Dog Press (www.twodogpress.com), an advocate of responsible pet ownership that supports charities, shelters and canine rescue organizations. Ms. Goodale, an art instructor at the University of Southern Maine since 1981, has been featured in exhibitions and collections from Deer Isle and Portland to Hawaii, the White House and the New York Public Library.

Established in 2007, Downeast Dog Scouts Troop 159 is a local sub-group of the Dog Scouts of America (www.dogscouts.org), a national non-profit organization dedicated to educating people about responsible dog ownership and promoting a positive human-canine bond. Troop members and their dogs currently volunteer as Reading Education Assistance Dogs and therapy dogs at MDI schools, libraries and medical facilities. In 2009, members provided a total of 1,230 hours of community service. For more information about the program, please contact Troop Leader Robyn Douglas at downeastdogscouts@yahoo.com or call 207-266-5807.