(4) The 1956 book won the coveted “Newberry Award” for literature and Disney immediately purchased the film rights. (3) Fred Gipson of Mason, Texas, wrote Old Yeller in 1956, based on his pioneer grandfather’s frontier tales and his wife’s family dog, named Rattler. (2) The movie starred a 115-pound, Lab/Bull Mastiff mix named Spike, who was purchased at a Van Nuys, California shelter for $3 by a Hollywood animal trainer. “The combination of excellent writing and the sensitivity to human emotions places it on a shelf with the classics in juvenile literature.PHOTOS: (1) The 1957 Disney movie, “Old Yeller,” was an instant success and became an American classic. “Occasionally, but very rarely, one reads a book with the increasing certainty, as one turns the pages, that a classic is unfolding before one’s eyes.” - Chicago Tribune “Exciting and heartwarming.” - School Library Journal

Just as Old Yeller inevitably makes his way into the Coates family’s hearts, this book will find its own special place in readers’ hearts. Originally published in 1956 to instant acclaim, Old Yeller later inspired a hit film from Walt Disney. It stands alongside works like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Where The Red Fern Grows, and Shiloh as a beloved and enduring classic of literature. And Travis ultimately finds help and comfort in the courage and unwavering love of the dog who comes to be his very best friend.įred Gipson’s novel is an eloquently simple story that is both exciting and deeply moving. But the big canine who Travis calls “Old Yeller” proves his worth by defending the family from danger. Living in Texas Hill Country during the 1860s, Travis comes to face new, unanticipated, and often perilous responsibilities in the frontier wilderness.Ī particular nuisance is a stray yellow dog that shows up one day and steals food from the family. When his father sets out on a cattle drive toward Kansas for the summer, fourteen-year-old Travis Coates is left to take care of his family and their farm. Sequoyah Children's Book Award (Oklahoma) About the BookĪ timeless American classic and one of the most beloved children’s books ever written, Old Yeller is a Newbery Honor Book that explores the poignant and unforgettable bond between a boy and the stray dog who becomes his loyal friend. William Allen White Children's Book Award (Kansas)

Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award

Old Yeller by Fred Gipson