Rosie Runs

What a lovely tale of Rosie, a racing dog who escapes her sad existence and runs off to see the world and find friends, and in so doing, her place. There’s a foreword with the story of the real Rosie whose heart-rending background inspired this book.

This is a sweet children’s story that can also help to inspire kindness and empathy towards animals. The artwork is done in an effectively childlike but incredibly detailed way.

Thank you to author and illustrator Marika Maijala, translator Mia Spangenberg, Archipelago, Elsewhere Editions, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

Rosie runs is about a greyhound. She escapes the place where they race her and she goes on a great adventure.
I like that this book is based on a real Rosie the greyhound. I also liked how the illustrations look like children's.(well a very advanced child) coloring page.
This book would be good to introduce children to the idea of being kind to animals and that all people aren't kind to animals.

I love the design of the pages with so much detail done in such a whimsical style. There is great design in the assembling of all shapes and colors and I kept looking at the double pages of landscapes and cityscapes filled with noise and smells paying attention to all details. Well balanced with pages of open space and gloom. Awesome. The story is very sweet and an homage to Rosie, a race dog who once was loved.

"Rosie Runs is a fresh, joyful story of a race-dog and her adventures toward freedom in the outside world. It is a spirited story with enchanting illustrations. Highly recommended for both children and adults. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

As of June 2023, West Virginia is the only U.S. state that allows greyhound racing. The UK allows greyhound racing. It's a barbaric activity to have people pay to watch these animals race each other. I didn't even know greyhound racing still existed. Somehow, I gave my fellow human beings too much credit for refusing to put these dogs through such utter nonsense. I can't imagine enjoying vulnerable animals forced to experience such torture.

Marika Maijala has created a story (translated from the Finnish by Mia Spangenberg) about a real-life greyhound raised to be bred and raced. She's abused and generally mistreated, and she escaped from her captors. Maijala adopted her, loved her, and gave her the life she deserved.

This inventively illustrated children's book details Rosie's escape from her captors/breeders and how she experiences her first taste of freedom. Maijala's illustrations are impeccable, and they would definitely entice young readers. "Rosie Runs" would be a wise choice for resistant readers (ages 5 to 10) who need a strong emotional story to lure them in.

I think young readers will want to see more of a resolution to Rosie's story. We get that resolution in the author's statement about her relationship to Rosie, so parents or teachers should read (or have the children read) the author's statement as the book's version ends before the happy ending. As a result, this book should be used to discuss animal abuse, and how abused animals don't always have a happy ending.

A beautiful story.

Exploring the sadness & cruelty behind the scenes of dog breeding for sport, specifically in the UK.

Lovely illustrations throughout.

I loved the little back story at the start of the book, It's so lovely to know that Rosie escaped to have such a wonderful beautiful life, as a dog should. Frolicking in the forest and following her nose.

I love the illustrators choice to use a child-like style of drawing. I think it compliments the storyline.

Rosie a racing dog (a greyhound). She introduces her self by explaining the highs of racing (crowds cheering, running full tilt toward the mechanical rabbit, etc.). She also explains that at night she doesn’t get much rest in her small crate with the sounds of other race dogs barking around her. 

Without warning, the next day, she decides during the race to keep running without turning back. For pages and pages she runs, freely. Rosie is seemly content to explore until she reaches a park where she meets a couple of other dogs. This is a sweet little story of one dogs need for freedom and friendship.

A lovely book with vibrant artwork that is full of detail. A perfect book to share with a wide range of ages as there is depth to the story. The biographical details of Rosie at the start of the book make this suitable for older children and for sparking discussions in an educational setting. I admit I had a tear in my eye when I read the biography.

This was so precious! Rosie is the best dog ever and this is the perfect read for your little ones! The illustrations were cute and the story was cozy.

Illustrated with drawings that remind me of my own growing up in the countryside, this is a beautiful story of hope for a dog who has been exploited by humans (a greyhound at the races, sleeping in a cage at night) and how she escapes and finds her place. Loved the palpable appreciation of the animal world the author has.

Rosie is a dog who has been bred for the racetrack, and lives in cramped and stressful circumstances. She is not even able to rest properly at night, due to the restlessness of other dogs around her, as well as the guards making their rounds.

Racing around the track one day, Rosie not only wins her race, but simply keeps running. Desperate not to be recaptured, she runs through city streets, forests, train stations and villages.

Finally, Rosie finds herself in a park where some friendly dogs are playing. She realises for the first time that dogs can also run for fun! And this is when Rosie decides to run around and play with the other dogs, in a celebration of her newfound freedom.

The book draws inspiration from the true story of a dog named Rosie who escaped from the greyhound racing arena, and was able to find a forever home with a human who really loved her.

The story of the real Rosie is actually quite touching, and I wish that more of that had been brought into this story. I also did not particularly enjoy the more childish illustrations, though some of the sketches were very nice.

But the book does bring up important issues about freedom, the treatment of animals and the need to eradicate so-called 'sports' like greyhound racing. It provides a good opportunity to unpack these issues with children, and to explore the importance of kindness and issues of animal welfare. For that reason, I think it would be a really good book to use as a teaching tool.

Rosie Runs

An exuberant blend of a true animal story and animal fiction, photographs and funky, childlike, crayoned illustrations coming from Finland. Rosie is a greyhound dog, rescued from a breeding farm. Rosie loves to run. The story takes off with Rosie running on a track with some doggie friends and ends with Rosie finding herself in a special place.

Children and caretakers will enjoy this book.

Rosie is a greyhound who was bred racing and more breeding. She lives an oppressive life, racing tirelessly by day and in a stressful cage at night. No one should be surprised when one day, upon finishing a race, she makes a break for it.

Run, Rosie, run!

This book is about her adventure trying to find a safe place outside her slavery, and we are all cheering for her to find comfort somewhere in her newly achieved freedom.

The author provides a forward to show us Rosie's escape is based upon a real-life Rosie who found a loving forever home with a Finnish philosopher. Knowing this makes the picture book about the horrifying "sport" of dog racing itself easier to stomach for the parent, and easier to cope with for a child. It's a hard topic, but one that should be addressed with children. Knowing how to respect animals and understanding the idea of freedom for all beings is key to becoming a kind and caring adult.

Lovely and heartwarming. Rosie Runs first caught my eye with its cover, and once I read the synopsis and learned that the Rosie of this story was based on a real-life Rosie, I knew that I really wanted to read her tale.

I have long despised animals being forced into the cruelty of racing, or hunts and very much appreciated that the story of the real Rosie is part of this, to know that she was adopted, safe, and beloved. Rosie's story is a moral and humane lesson steeped in the importance of being kind to animals and keeping animal rights laws in place without ever being overbearing.

An excellent read-aloud choice for children (be sure to have time for questions and talking time after). The illustrations are vividly colorful, engaging even for the very young, and accompany the story perfectly.

Rosie's tale will stay with its readers, young and older alike.




Thank you to Elsewhere Editions (Archipelago) and NetGalley for the DRC!

i love the artwork! the background story of Rosie who inspired this story really packed a punch and made me think (and feeling sad while at it). this is a heartwarming story to read in one sitting with the little ones!

thank you to NetGalley for the arc!

A sweet children's story from Finland about a greyhound called Rosie, who has had enough of running round and round in circles chasing a decoy hare, and decides to keep on running straight out of the racetrack and to freedom.
The illustrations have a wonderful childlike feel to them - full of colourful crayon strokes, but the level of detail makes it clear they came from a more mature hand. The story teaches children a bit about animal cruelty and how some old traditional forms of entertainment might not be worth continuing in the modern day.
The reader also gets to meet the real-life inspiration for the story - a greyhound called Rosie who was owned by a criminal gang, used and abused as an illegal hunt dog. Parents will want to consider how much of the real Rosie they share with their children, as there are some more mature elements to the real dog's backstory.