In 1889, a stray dog drifted into the post office in Albany, New York. For the next eight years, Owney acted as a mascot of the U.S. Postal Service, traveling with mail bags by train through the country, and eventually sailing around the globe. His adventures were closely tracked by newspapers of the time, making Owney a popular canine worldwide. Based on her research at the National Postal Museum of the Smithsonian Institute, author Irene Kelly has recreated the story of Owney’s unique life, presented through invented letters, postcards, and newspaper articles. Watercolor illustrations depict a scruffy brown mutt gleefully living out his wanderlust, whether from the top of the Statue of Liberty or beside an Egyptian pyramid. (Ages 5–8)

Letters tell the story of Owney, a dog who became mascot of the Albany, New York, post office in 1888 and traveled around the world. Includes historical notes.