'Fritz was a right mischievous fellow': Cork author immortalises beloved pet dog in new book series

A beloved family pet has been immortalised in a charming children’s tale set in the West Cork village of Baltimore.

Fritz And The Giants - A New Home is the first in a series of eight books about life seen through the perspective of a little Jack Russell terrier.

It was written by Stephen Curren-Haffner, who works as a Professional Practise placement supervisor for the Early Years and Childhood degree programme at UCC.

The story unfolds as the little dog Fritz is rescued and adopted by the Haffner family, and gets used to life in a strange new home.

The tale reflects the emotional rollercoaster experienced by children as they navigate through the inevitable changes in their lives. Starting school, moving home, separation from loved ones, making new friends, building trust, and trying to find their place in the world.

Stephen was inspired to write the story based on his family’s actual pet dog Fritz, who lived with them at Rolf’s restaurant and accommodation in the village, and who sadly passed away only a few months ago.

He was a gift from Stephen to his husband Johannes, and became a well-loved and established member of not only the entire Haffner family, but indeed the community of locals of Baltimore where he was a familiar character around the village.

“Our Fritz was a right mischievous fellow, and he loved nothing better than going for a ramble off to Sherkin island,” said Stephen.

“He would give us the slip and sneak onto the ferry, and off he’d go to the island.

“We’d be searching for him and next thing we would get a call from someone reporting that he had landed back onto the pier and to come and pick him up.”

Stephen added: “He was also a divil for sneaking into the guest bedrooms and snuggling into the beds to have a little rest for himself. We had to warn the guests in advance in case they would get a fright, but they never minded. He had a way of charming himself into people’s hearts.

“He was so gentle. During the downturn, I ran a respite for families with children who had additional needs. He knew when it was lunch time and plonked himself down in the middle of the kids.

“He was regularly carried around by his back leg by one little child who was non-verbal, but seemed to sense that he had to be patient and never snapped.

“He proved to have a real impact, and the child’s parents told me that his first word was ‘Fits’ as in ‘Fritz’.”

Stephen began making notes on the antics of Fritz and then, as part of his studies for a certificate in therapeutic play, he had to submit a story for children, so he fished the notes he had made out of his desk drawer.

He found that he had enough material for eight books in total and is planning to publish them all with illustrations by his friend the artist Sara Baker. The second part of Fritz’s adventures is due out around Christmas.

“Sara is a really gifted illustrator and she knew Fritz well as we have been great friends for over ten years now,” said Stephen.

“She really got what I was saying in the stories and was able to translate them into the most wonderful visuals.’

Stephen tested the stories out on the audience who would give him the most honest feedback - children themselves.

“Many adults think that they know what makes up a good children’s story, but at the end of the day, it is really only the children themselves who will give you their honest opinion,” he said.

“Children need to be children for as long as possible. They don’t hide what they think. It’s only as we get older that we overthink everything and then the honesty is gone.

“So, long before I decided to publish, I read many variations of my stories to children, and it’s only because of their interest that Fritz And The Giants is now a book.’

The stories are populated by a plethora of other endearing characters, both two-legged and four-legged, as encountered by Fritz, and these characters are also drawn from real life.

“I decided I wanted these stories to have real life context and most of the characters actually do exist,” said Stephen.

“For example, the ‘Oma’ in the book is the grandmother of the character Victoria, the little girl who is based on my niece, now 17. ‘Oma’ means grandma in German. The Haffner family originally came from Germany, and grandmothers go by so many different names in different families.

“I also include Rosie based on another real-life family dog. She becomes Fritz’s foster mum in the story and offers him support in his new environment.

“Then we have Regina the Fox, who is a regular visitor to our home here in Rolf’s. She also befriends Fritz in his new home, and tries to make him feel more settled.”

The subsequent books in the series will deal with themes such as feeling different or being bullied.

“Florence, the French seagull, has a fear of flying over water and the Irish seagulls pick on her because of her accent, and she will feature in the next book,” said Stephen.

“I am hoping that this series will help children navigate through different experiences in their lives by linking them with a character in the book, and so that reading Fritz’s stories will help them to believe more in themselves and empower them through challenging moments in their lives.”

Fritz And The Giants - New Home, by Stephen Curren-Haffner is available in all good bookshops.