Mona Smith
Author Mona Smith takes readers on a journey through the exciting life of Rocko and his boy, Geoffrey. See Maryland, and the world, through the eyes of Rocko—a mutt who thinks with his stomach and is more a scaredy cat than a brave canine. However, Rocko and his boy soon find themselves face-to-face with an unexpected danger….
Can Rocko put fear aside and summon his courage? Will he be forced to eat unwanted broccoli again for dinner?
All pressing matters for a dog with a big appetite who loves to play and explore Maryland with a little boy who means the world to him.
With fun and amusing illustrations by Hazel Mitchell, Rocko the Hero is a delight for young and old pet lovers around the world.
Maryland author Mona Smith's love of animals and her friendship with the family of a trumpet-playing prodigy, Geoffrey Gallante, were the inspirations for her new children’s fiction book, Rocko the Hero.
She set out to create a tale that touches on what makes Maryland special, highlights a gifted child, and celebrates the love that animals can bring to people’s lives. Basing the story on the dog her husband adopted from a shelter as a puppy, she hopes this book will create awareness for animal organizations such as the ASPCA, which a portion of the book’s earnings will benefit.
Suddenly Rocko smelled a new smell that he did not recognize, a smell that was full of danger, a wild smell that did not belong in Piney Orchard. It was a smell of jungles and faraway places. “But what could it be?” Rocko wondered.
