''Slog's Dad'' is a 2006 short story by

David Almond David Almond (born 15 May 1951) is a British author who has written many novels for children and young adults from 1998, each one receiving critical acclaim. He is one of thirty children's writers, and one of three from the UK, to win the bienn ...

and is about a boy called Slog who, sees a man he believes is his father returned from death to visit him. It was originally published in a collection of short stories and subsequently released, in 2010, as a stand-alone

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

illustrated by

Dave McKean David McKean (born 29 December 1963) is an English illustrator, photographer, comic book artist, graphic designer, filmmaker and musician. His work incorporates drawing, painting, photography, collage, found objects, digital art, and sculpt ...

Publication history

''Slog's Dad'' appeared in the following publications: *''So, what kept you?: new stories inspired by Anton Chekhov and Raymond Carver'', Claire Malcolm and Margaret Wilkinson, Flambard Press/

New Writing North New Writing North, founded in 1996, is an Arts Council England agency based in the North of England for the development of writing. History New Writing North was established in 1996 in Newcastle upon Tyne, working with writers across the North Ea ...

2006, England, , paperback *''The National Short Story Prize 2007'' 2007, England, Atlantic , paperback before being published as a stand-alone graphic novel: *''Slog's Dad'' 2010, England,

Walker Books Walker Books is a British publisher of children's books, founded in 1978 by Sebastian Walker, Amelia Edwards, and Wendy Boase. In 1991, the success of Walker Books' ''Where's Wally?'' series enabled the company to expand into the American ma ...

, hardback *''Slog's Dad'' 2011, USA,

Candlewick Press Candlewick Press, established in 1992 and located in Somerville, Massachusetts, is part of the Walker Books group. The logo depicting a bear carrying a candle is based on Walker Books's original logo. Sebastian Walker launched Walker Books from ...

, hardback

Reception

A '' Booktrust'' review of ''Slog's Dad'' called it "A poignant and sensitive story of grief and loss". ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

'' in a starred review wrote "Another haunting and beautiful book from the U.K. team that produced '' The Savage'' in 2008." and "The volume is richly and poetically illustrated by McKean." It has also been reviewed by ''

Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...

'', the ''

School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...

'', ''

the Horn Book ''The Horn Book Magazine'', founded in Boston in 1924, is the oldest bimonthly magazine dedicated to reviewing children's literature. It began as a "suggestive purchase list" prepared by Bertha Mahony Miller and Elinor Whitney Field, proprietres ...

'', ''

Voice of Youth Advocates ''Voice of Youth Advocates'' (''VOYA'') is a bimonthly magazine that provides book reviews and information for librarians with a focus on young adult materials. History and profile ''VOYA'' was established in 1978. The founders are Dorothy Brode ...

''.

Awards and nominations

:*2007

BBC National Short Story Award BBC National Short Story Award is a British literary award for short stories. It was founded in 2005 by the NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) with support from BBC Radio 4 and '' Prospect'' magazine. The winner re ...

- finalist :*2012

Kate Greenaway Medal The Kate Greenaway Medal is a British literary award that annually recognises "distinguished illustration in a book for children". It is conferred upon the illustrator by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) ...

- shortlist

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Slogs dad 2010 British novels 2010 graphic novels British young adult novels British graphic novels Novels about death British short stories 2006 short stories Walker Books books