THE AMBASSADOR'S DOG
This is the story of a pup who waited.
This is the story of the man whose heart was touched.
This is the story of the dream that they shared.
Testimonials
Nepali TimesThe Ambassador’s Dog has a dream-like quality to it, but at its heart is a story of optimism and positivity. Lo Khyi is a canine medium for an important message: set goals for yourselves and believe in them. And somehow (stars will align, or you will find avenues) your dreams will come true.
This book will surely grip many young readers and inspire them, and they will be particularly drawn by Jane Lillian Vance’s exquisite illustrations.
The illustrations on every page are symbolic, but detailed works of art that are intimate portrayals of the Land of Lo, its Buddhist faith, and its people, animals and birds...
Lo Khyi is the true hero of the The Ambassador’s Dog, a short, uplifting ageless read for this dreary Covid winter, and a perfect magical gift of hope for the upcoming holiday season — especially for families with children and dogs.
WBUR - Serena McMahon.
Mary Ann GrossmanFrom the St. Paul Pioneer Press
Like a Christmas gift that glows beyond December, Minnesota native Scott DeLisi has given us one of the prettiest and most heart-felt books of 2020. “The Ambassador’s Dog” occupies that rarefied space between picture book and adult keepsake, appealing to all ages. It’s fiction based on real life.
DeLisi, former ambassador to Nepal and a University of Minnesota graduate, is a natural writer. He tells with lyricism about a puppy who sends his dream of a permanent home out on the wind swirling from the high Himalayas, which touches a man named Scott. The pup is a Tibetan mastiff with a big head, broad chest and blue eyes whose ancestors guarded the palace of a king. The little one waits patiently on the side of the road in what was once the ancient kingdom of Lo on the Tibetan plateau. He knows he will meet his person and he does. Scott comes by on a hiking trip and then:
“It was the eyes that drew Scott’s gaze. It is why he saw the pup despite his blue-grey camouflage that allowed him to blend into the rocky hillside. Those blue eyes blazed in the morning light. They met Scott’s eyes. And at that moment, the puppy’s dream, the dream that had taken root inside Scott’s heart weeks before, began to stir.”
Scott names the puppy Lo Khyi, because, he tells the pup “you are not only a dog from Lo but you are also, for me, the happiness of Lo and you always will be.” (The word for dog, Khyi, is also the word for happiness.)
Lo Khyi became a DiploDog (diplomat) whose story, Scott says, “can remind those we meet that it is good to dream and to believe, and that our dreams can come true. And they will see us together and know, that when we work as partners, anything is possible.”
“The Ambassador’s Dog” is physically beautiful. The cover is textured paper and the outside jacket is laminated with raised lettering. A pretty gold ribbon is a bookmark. It is enhanced by award-winning American artist Jane Vance’s mesmerizing, colorful oil paintings inspired by Tibetan Buddhism.
DeLisi is a graduate of the University of Minnesota law school and an alum of the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs. He has served as a diplomat in India, Madagascar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Botswana, but Nepal is the place he and his wife, Leija, loved the most. It was Leija who urged her husband to write this story. They live, with Lo Khyi and other dogs, in Haymarket, Va. DeLisi leads Engage Nepal, a charitable foundation dedicated to helping its partners in Nepal shape a future of hope.
CMP 49This is a jewel of a book. Both the illustrations and the lovingly written tale have a timeless aspect that will capture your heart. The story of a special dog with a special dream will engage anyone with it's magical quality that compels with the true nature of its story.
Appreciate it for the beauty of both the prose and the pictures. Love it for the way it touches your heart and makes you believe again in the magic that is in the wind. Highly recommend
Kathleen MThe Ambassador’s Dog is a moving story of the special relationship that can exist when two beings find each other and commit to one another, even if one of them is four-legged.
At a time when we are all tired of COVID and a drawn-out election, reading an uplifting saga of the dedication of a man and his dog to one another enriches the spirit and lightens the mood.
Set in beautiful Nepal with some of the most gorgeous artwork I have ever seen, the book is a joy to read, as you immerse yourself in the beauty of each page. I personally know the Ambassador and this book superbly reflects this man’s gentle nature and love of Nepal. The weaving of Eastern philosophy throughout the story line also adds to the book’s gentleness and appeal. This book will not only be a lovely coffee table book, but one you will love reading to your kids and the perfect antidote for you to a day void of inspiration. A perfect Christmas gift for people of all ages, I cannot recommend this lovely book more.
Thank you, Scott DeLisi, for a inspiring and uplifting book, and thank you Jane Lillian Vance for the extraordinary artwork.