Born to Pull

The first book Gail de Marcken illustrated, "Born to Pull," was published in 1998 by Pfeifer-Hamilton of Duluth. Now, it's back in print from University of Minnesota Press ($12.95) for the first time since 2003. (Order here.)

Written by the late Bob Cary, northern Minnesota newspaper editor, outdoorsman and author, this celebration of sled dogs features de Marcken's realistic and charming drawings of the dogs running, sleeping, eating and engaging in puppy play. Her work perfectly captures individual animal's facial expressions.

When Pfeifer-Hamilton owners Don and Nancy Tubesing closed their publishing company eight years ago, "Born to Pull" was among nine of the company's children's picture books sold to Scholastic. Thirty-two regional titles, including several by Bob Cary, went to University of Minnesota Press.

In 2003, Scholastic reissued "Born to Pull" in paperback, and it then went out of print, with rights reverting to Cary's family. Bob's daughter, Barbara Hall, wanted her dad's book available again. That's when she ran into UMP editor Todd Orjala at a publishing event in Ely.

"I recalled this book creating quite a buzz when it first came out," Orjala said. "Given our ongoing success with Bob Cary's other titles and our growing children's book list, this title seemed worth a serious look. This is a perennial favorite of many in Minnesota and, given the high print quality of the artwork of this new version from our press, it deserves to be highlighted again for a new generation of dog/winter sports lovers."

De Marcken remembers photographing the malamutes, huskies and Eskimo dogs in the Ely area when it was 60 below zero. Then, she headed to Tunisia, where her husband was stationed, to do the paintings.

"I'd painted a few donkeys and camels, but I'd never painted fur," she recalled when the book was first published. "I sat in this air-conditioned room, painting dogs in snow."

— Based on an article by Mary Ann Grossmann