The Tale of Was and Das by Marin Darmonkow
We all love a story about an underdog. There’s something about an unlucky protagonist that tugs on our heartstrings; these narratives appeal to our empathy, making us wish that we could reach through the page and help lift them up. The heightened sense of emotion makes it all the sweeter when the character triumphs over their struggles.
In the case of Marin Darmonkow’s book The Tale of Was and Das, we have not one underdog to root for, but two. The pair in question is WAS (pronounced Vas) and DAS, a young boy and a German Shepherd, respectively. Without a family or home of their own, these two friends band together to create a place for themselves in the junkyard between two bickering towns. There, the duo finds inspiration in the discarded books that litter the landfill.
“They both loved it when it rained. They would go under the sheets with a flashlight to read. Actually, WAS was the reader. DAS just listened. Sometimes she listened so attentively that she snored. Their favorite books were the stories and pictures about dinosaurs.”
Motivated by their shared interest in the Mesozoic, the two friends decide to build a dinosaur of their own. Pieced together with junkyard parts, Thesaurus the dinosaur soon looms overhead and can even be seen from town. But will the residents be able to set aside their squabbling to appreciate the new sculpture?
A NEW AGE OF DINOSAURS — AND PEACE
The Tale of Was and Das is an unexpected blend of imagination, compassion and childlike humor that speaks to young readers. At its core, the story proclaims a message of using your imagination and keeping an open mind. But the book also includes some more juvenile humor to keep children laughing during story time. The two towns at odds are, as it turns out, called Fartsville and Burptown. Darmonkow doesn’t shy away from the potty humor, as well as other jokes in which DAS the German Shepherd doesn’t quite get human turns of phrase, such as “raining cats and dogs.”
Something readers of all ages can appreciate is artist Peter Stan’s illustrations. Remarkable digital paintings capture WAS and DAS’ adventures as they climb over junkheaps, scavenging bits and pieces to use in their construction. The illustrations also capture the size and scale of the dinosaur itself as it towers past the limits of the page. As WAS and DAS ascend the scaffolding, both the townspeople and the reader are dazzled by their hard work.
In the end, it is WAS and DAS’ ingenuity that helps foster peace between Fartsville and Burptown. Joined together in their appreciation for Thesaurus the dinosaur, the two towns begin to build souvenir shops and park food trucks in the junkyard. It’s the perfect place for the townspeople to intermingle, setting aside their differences so that new friendships can blossom. And in the center of it all is WAS and DAS, accepted by both communities. With this happy ending, readers will be inspired to look around their own surroundings and ask themselves what barriers they can overcome to make a positive change.
Note: this book includes an antiquated term for the Romani.
