A Plumfield Kids Book Review by Greta Masarik, age 14

“High in the heavens the full moon rode in all her majestic splendor, shedding her soft radiance over the rugged mountain range. Around her glittered her uncounted starry companions, set in their dark velvet background as if some joyful sprite had thrown there with a prodigal hand a diamond shower in tribute to the Moon Queen.”

C. K. Thompson’s books give us an accurate account of Australian wildlife. But unlike some science books, they also tell a story beautifully. Thompson does not condemn or excuse the animal he writes about. The back of the Living Book Press edition quotes him, saying, “I have not sought to glorify Warrigal, neither have I condemned him. I have just tried to present him as he really is, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will.”

Warrigal the Warrior is a fictional story of a dingo pup who is found by a Dogger, a man who kills dingos to sell their scalps. The Dogger takes a liking to this young pup and attempts, without success, to domesticate him. He names the pup Warrigal, an aboriginal word meaning Dingo. For some time Warrigal takes somewhat after his collie grandfather. Yet the irrepressible killer instinct takes over when he has free rein in a town at night. In the end, however, Warrigal escapes and returns to the Australian Bush, where he belongs. 

You may want to know that Warrigal, being a dingo, kills many animals, including kangaroos, domesticated cats and dogs, and sheep. 

This book was out of print until 2017 when Living Book Press brought it back. They also published many others in this series, including Maggie the Magnificent, Thunderbolt the Falcon, Monarch of the Western Skies, and Willy Wagtail. 

As I said in my review of Archimedes and the Door of Science I do not care for math and science, but I found this book fascinating and engaging. I felt I really knew Warrigal and now have a much better understanding of wild dogs as well as domesticated ones.