Outlaw Red

Big Red #3

by Jim Kjelgaard

He was Sean, a champion, the biggest, handsomest son of Big Red, the famous Irish setter. Bursting with hunting instincts, he fretted under his pampered kennel life, and longed for the wilds. Then suddenly his life changed. He found himself on his own in the Wintapi wilderness, lost, his human protectors gone. An outlaw, he was hunted and shot at by the hill men. How Sean learned to survive amidst constant danger, how he challenged a coyote killer to save his mate, is a stirring tale of bravery and an exciting wilderness adventure. It is also the heartwarming story of another unwilling outlaw—the boy who loved Sean and wanted him for his own.

Genres: Animals, Fiction, Young Adult, Childrens, Classics, Dogs, Middle Grade

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1953

About the author

an American author of young adult literature.

Born in New York City, New York, Jim Kjelgaard is the author of more than forty novels, the most famous of which is 1945's "Big Red." It sold 225,000 copies by 1956 and was made into a 1962 Walt Disney film with the same title, Big Red. His books were primarily about dogs and wild animals, often with animal protagonists and told from the animal's point of view.

Jim Kjelgaard committed suicide in 1959, after suffering for several years from chronic pain and depression.
- Wikipedia -

Reviews

[Stephen Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like Jim Kjelgaard’s descriptions of wildlife and the wilderness than you will enjoy Outlaw Red. Copywrite 1953. In it there are what to me are familiar themes in dog books, a show dog who must learn to survive in the wild, mistaken identity, and a powerful adversary to eventually vanquish. I can still enjoy themes even if they have been done before, if they are written well, so that was not a problem for me.

What I am just not a big fan of is the dog learning to live and survive on their own. I am not sure how realistic is, but mostly, I just don’t find it as interesting. The dog figures out how to hunt and eat this, the dog figures out how to hunt and eat that, he gets lucky and finds this or that to eat. Kjelgaard does the descriptions of the wildlife behavior Sean must interact with very realistically, but I find interaction with dogs and humans much more engaging.

In the fifties and before, show winning pedigreed dogs were held in higher regard than perhaps they are now. Some now worry that it can be detrimental to a breed to concentrate on looks. But in a book, it is easier for a dog to have both looks and the important instincts of the breed. The dog Sean in Outlaw Red is described as:

‘Born to hunt, and to be the companion of some human being who liked to hunt, he had all the fine instincts of a hunter. But it was Sean’s misfortune that he had also been born with an almost perfect body. His head seemed molded by some master artist. His spine and back and massive chest were ideally formed, and his tail was a graceful brush that dropped in precisely the right curve.
Sean was a show dog. Far too valuable to risk in the wilderness, he was fast making his mark in the world of dog shows.’

Big Red and his owner Danny Pickett from the previous two books make some appearances in the book, but the main character in this book is Billy Dash, a skinny youth hired to work in the kennels. We are given his thoughts on Sean being a show dog in this next quote:

“You, Dog. Youah all dog. Seems mighty funny to keep you in a piddlin’ little cage, and just use you fo’ getting’ blue ribbons and little cups when you could be a huntin’ dog. Seems might funny. Still, I s’pose it’s impo’tant, else, Danny and Mistah Haggin wouldn’t do it. But fo’ the life of me I can’t figgah it.”

Both Billy and Sean wind up to be outlaws of a sort. An overall good enough story. I can check one more book off my list toward reading all of Jim Kjelgaard’s books.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read so many Kjelgaard books when I was a kid. They stand out just as much as the stories of Albert Payson Terhune and more than Lassie Come-Home. Now, I have to ask why is it always a boy and his dog? Girls have dogs too. Anyway, Outlaw Red was my favorite Kjelgaard book, mainly because the boy wasn't in it that much. It's a good adventure story about a dog. Thrilling.

[Rebekah Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just 3 stars.
While I enjoyed the first two books in the series, this one focused so much on the dog and what he was doing and going through that it lost the feel the other stories had. When I read dog books I want more about the people. Yes, there was some about Billy Dash, but not much. I wanted to know more about him, more about Danny, and I was disappointed not to. Perhaps that's why it took me three days to read it all.

[Trevor Fletcher]

The book "Outlaw Red" is a great book. I read this book because its about hunting and the outdoor nature. I like how the author made good things and bad things happen throughout the book. There are parts in the book that are exciting then there are parts when the family's close friend dog died. This book is about a normal family that loves to hunt. The family has a really talented dog that can chase down any small game animal. The main dog of the story is Sean. He was very talented and his owners loved him a lot. The family lived in a decent house out in the country surrounded by the woods with lot of hunting property.

The author has written another dog book called "Snow Dog." It has the same characters in it as "Outlaw Red." I haven't read "Snow Dog" yet, but I think that is going to be the next book I'm going to read because I liked the book I just finished.

I would recommend this book to boys around the ages of 10-16 who like the outdoors. I would also recommend this book to people who want to get involved with the outdoors.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recall this one being my favorite of the Red series growing up, but now I can't remember why. Not to say that it's bad by any means. Once again, there's less of the meandering from the first one and more of the arc of the second.

The issues are more to do with how little we get to know Billy and his bond with Sean. After two books with Danny and Red, by comparison, it falls flat.

It's also one of those unusual occurrences where things wrap up too neatly. Don't get me wrong. I'm not a fan of unhappy endings, but I'm also not a fan of manufactured endings, which is the feeling here: the neat little bow effect.

[Wendy]

Also read this one a long, long time ago, but it was someone else's used copy, which was falling apart and missing several pages. I probably would have enjoyed it more if it hadn't been missing pages. As it stands, I hardly remember anything, save a few opening bits.

[Brian Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best of his books...was read to my class by our 4th-Grade teacher, who inspired me to love books and reading...thanks, Mrs. Jacobson!

[Drew Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another terrific story about another heir of Big Red.

[sincerely · Rating 5 out of 5]

From 8 year old

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, another great book from the "Big Red" series. I love how each Irish Setter in each book has a unique personality. It prevents the series from being repetitive and keeps the reader interested. Sean was certainly a different setter from Red and Mike. After having lived the pampered life for so long, his longing to act like a real dog is palpable. It's almost like a tamer version of Jack London's "Call of the Wild." Sean has to learn by the seat of his pants how to survive in the wilderness, and adjusts over time to the rhythm of the woods. The parallel plot line with Billy Dash was interesting as well, although I felt like it was wrapped up a bit too fast at the end. Another well-written wilderness story! See my reviews on the other two books in the series for further details and thoughts.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another delightful story from Jim Kjelgaard, told from the perspective of a Irish Sitter named Sean.
"He is a champion, the biggest, handsomest son of Big Red."
"Bursting with hunting instincts, he fretted under his pampered kennel life, and longed for the wilds. Then suddenly his life changed. He finds himself on his own in the Wintapi wilderness. He now is lost and his human protectors gone.
Sean is an outlaw, he is hunted and shot at by the hill men, who thinks he is dangerous.
This story is a stirring tale of bravery and an exciting wilderness adventure.
It is also the heartwarming story of another unwilling outlaw—the boy who loved Sean and wanted him for his own."

[Elizabeth Castro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading Outlaw Red from a pampered dog's perspective who gets lost in the wilderness and learns to tough it out. This book is exciting! I raced through it.
If you enjoy adventure books as I do, such as Call of the Wild, Moby Dick, or Swiss Family Robinson I would recommend Outlaw Red for you. The book is appropriate for any age group as long as they have at least an upper elementary reading level. Left out of the book are racial stereotypes that were commonly found in books from this time period.

[Eva Tipps · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story of a show-winning Irish Setter that finds itself lost and alone in the wilderness. Having been fed and pampered in a kennel his entire life, the dog Sean has to learn from scratch how to hunt, hide, and fight for survival. A smart dog, Sean learned his lessons quickly but in his soul he still missed the companionship of a human, one he could adore and dedicate his life to. This was a good story.

[C.R. Flamingbush · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book with all its twists and turns. It's almost like a "Lassie, Come Home" story, except that it's about an Irish Setter accidentally left to fend for itself and (hopefully) find a mate in the process. The dog's life is closely intertwined with the people who love him as well as those who are convinced the dog must be destroyed. I liked this book even better than Big Red.

[T Crockett · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a kid this was my least favorite in the series. I always really liked the connection between the person and the animal (The Black Stallion series, The Trumpet of the Swan, A Cricket in Times Square, Ben and Me).

I found a copy for $1 as an adult and bought it. It's not so easy to find Kjelgaard books these days. This time I couldn't finish it. I just wasn't interested enough.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A prize winning Irish Setter ends up lost in the wilderness. He turns into an Outlawdog as he learns to survive on his own.

This is a decent dog adventure book that almost solely focuses on Sean, the red Irish setter, and hardly any human characters at all. Not my favorite of this genre, but still good.

[Mrs R · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Big Red & Irish Red to my kids, we had to read Outlaw Red. Sean is the son of Big Red. In this story, Sean finds himself in a situation where he must learn to survive on his own. This book was a bit more gory than the first two books - mainly in the context of animals in the wild. We learned much about what it takes for animals to survive in the wilderness.

[P.S. Winn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an epic adventure and takes readers into the the life of Outlaw red. A life that changes drastically from peaceful existence to tragedy and danger. The author has several books about dogs and all are great reads.

[Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Big Red by Jim Kjelgaard was better than any of his other books! This doesn't imply that all other of his books are a waste of time.

[Danice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was reminded of Jack London's novel "Call of the wild." It was a good read, but I was distracted by the similarity, and parallels to London's book.

[Larry Wegman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Third of the Big Red series. I hadn't read the sequels before, and did enjoy them. This one wisely puts its lead character dog in a very different situation than the ones in the first two novels.

[Derek` · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was a great book it had a lot of suspense, and puts you in the dogs mind.

[Debbie Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good dog book. :)

[Clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great easy read book!

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like if we have the Irish red and outlaw red we should have big red somewhere

[Ron Sanderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

read as a kid

[Marsha Valance · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic tale of a pampered show dog learning to survive in the wilderness.

[Sarah Brazytis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has a lot less Danny and Ross, some backwoods feuding, and a lot of domestic-dog-turns-wild. However, Sean (Big Red's prize-winning son) was remarkable enough to inspire the name of our second dog! What does that tell you?

[Kyle Loehrke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outlaw Red is a very good book to read if you have nothing to do or if you want to read a very good and interesting book. In this book Billy loses his dog named Sean in the woods in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. In the beginning of this book Billy and his dog Sean are out in the woods rabbit hunting when a huge thunder storm hit. Sean took off running and he didn't come back when Billy called.

After a few days Billy thought that Sean was never coming back and he didn't come back for 10 days. In those 10 days Billy stayed alive in the middle of a thick forest. Sean ran into wild dogs and he had to fight them off but he did and then he got away from them. On about the fifth day Sean was still lost in the woods by himself and he was able to catch a rabbit with his jaws and he ate it.

It the end of this book Sean smells Billy from a long ways away and then he runs to him through the brush and Billy is so glad to see him. I believe that Sean would not have lasted much longer in the woods by himself because he had little energy. Together Billy and Sean were able to find there way out of the woods and went home and had a huge meal and were all better. I believe any Freshman Boy should read this book because it teaches you how to survive in the wild and it teaches you how important your dog can be to you.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jim Kjelgaard's Irish Setter books are the ultimate boy-and-his-dog adventure stories. Although it has been a very long time since I read them, I do remember that they completely enthralled me at the time, and captured my heart and imagination.