Magno The Magnificent now in print

Christine Aubry

When Gilbert Le Gras showed his son Olivier the photo of himself and their puppy Magno in the April 2020 issue of IMAGE, they joked that they should write a book about their furry friend. In just over a year, with the assistance of the Canadian self-publishing firm FriesenPress, the idea materialized into print under the title “Magno The Magnificent Musings on Humanity in Times of Crisis.”

J’ai fait la connaissance de la vedette du livre devant sa résidence du quartier voisin d’Overbrook. LeGras décrit son chien comme “un gros marshmallow sur pattes – charismatique, super sociable, vraiment bon avec les enfants. Il fait rire tout le monde. Les gens arr tent m me leur voiture pour sortir flatter le chien. Disons que ça change le mal de place.”

LeGras says this creative endeavour was a wonderful COVID project for the family. His son, living in Ottawa during his pre-university gap year, dabbles in rap music lyrics. His fiancée, Katharina Schopohl, is an artist and illustrator who also works with animals. Benefitting from LeGras’s experience as a published author, including several children’s books, they pulled together a 73-page miscellany (that’s a fancy word for a collection of various things) poems, humorous prose, recipes, photos and drawings, all capturing the joy of having a puppy in your life.

Ancien journaliste et maintenant fonctionnaire, LeGras est aussi auteur de nombreux livres. ÇC’est vraiment par amour qu’on écrit un livre,È me dit-il, Ç c’est une façon de donner aux autres. È Ce dernier ouvrage suit la thématique des antécédents : l’évolution de la relation parent-enfant, m me si l’enfant en question a quatre pattes.

FriesenPress describes the book as “a whimsical story of a charming, mischievous, and playful English bulldog and his human family (É) that will put a smile on your face at every page.” I found it not only amusing, but informative and heart-warming, with insightful life lessons and quotes such as “The Love Pie gets sweeter and bigger the more you add to it!”

Magno and his humans walk the loop along the Rideau River, between Adàwe Crossing and the old train bridge, almost daily. If you spot them, don’t hesitate to ask for a small therapeutic dose of puppy love.

You can obtain the book at our local independent bookstores: Singing Pebble Books, Perfect Books and Books on Beechwood. For more information about the authors and illustrator: www.gilbertlegras.com