Big Red by Jim Kjelgaard
"Big Red" is a novel by Jim Kjelgaard, published in 1945, which follows the adventures of a young man named Danny Pickett and his bond with an Irish setter named Red in a wilderness area known as Wintapi. The story is told primarily from Danny's perspective and captures his journey as he balances life as a trapper and hunter with his newfound responsibilities in training Red, a show dog, to also be a skilled bird-hunting dog. As the narrative unfolds, Danny and Red face various challenges, including a dangerous black bear named Old Majesty, which threatens their livelihood and safety.
The novel is divided into twelve chapters, each highlighting key events that develop the deepening relationship between Danny and Red, showcasing themes of friendship, loyalty, and the struggles of training a dog in a setting that values both traditional methods and a more humane approach. Kjelgaard's writing draws from his personal experiences as a woodsman and dog enthusiast, adding authenticity to the portrayal of life in the wilderness. "Big Red" has remained popular over the years, leading to adaptations, including a 1962 film by Disney, although the movie presents a different storyline than the original book. The enduring legacy of "Big Red" is reflected in its continued readership and adaptations, contributing to its status as a classic in children's literature.
Subject Terms
Big Red by Jim Kjelgaard
First published: 1945; illustrated
Subjects: Animals, coming-of-age, and nature
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Adventure tale
Time of work: Probably the 1930’s
Recommended Ages: 10-13
Locale: A wilderness area known as the Wintapi, probably in northwestern Pennsylvania
Principal Characters:
Danny Pickett , a seventeen-year-old trapper, hunter, and woodsmanRoss Pickett , Danny’s fatherRed , an Irish setterDick Haggin , a wealthy industrialist and landownerOld Majesty , a black bear
Form and Content
Big Red is told in the third person almost entirely from the point of view of Danny Pickett, a young man intimately familiar with and deeply fond of the Wintapi, a wilderness area on the border of thinly settled farm and ranchland. Danny is introduced to a tantalizing new world when he first sees a splendid Irish setter being groomed as a show dog by Dick Haggin, who owns the estate on which Danny and his father, Ross, live in a squatter’s cabin. Danny is following in his father’s footsteps, helping him make their living off the land as trappers and hunters. Danny has a chance to explore a new way of life, however, when Mr. Haggin, recognizing the camaraderie between the dog and the young man as well as Danny’s innate dog-handling skills, asks Danny to take care of Red and learn how to train and breed show dogs while training Red as a bird-hunting dog. Danny and Red grow significantly through the course of the novel, both as individuals and closer together as comrades. By the end, they are well prepared to face their greatest challenge—the threat of Old Majesty, a powerful, dangerous black bear who seems to prey at will on livestock and who eventually badly hurts Ross when he tries to track down the wily old marauder.
The novel is divided into twelve titled chapters, each recounting a key experience in the lives of Danny and Red. In “Irish Setter,” Red picks up the trail of Old Majesty and tracks the big bear to a standstill, “the only dog with the heart to do it and the brain to handle the bear after he did,” in Danny’s admiring words. Yet, Danny is worried that Red might get injured and be ruined as a show dog; he does not take a shot and brings Red home safely. In “The Journey” and “The Dog Show,” Mr. Haggin takes Danny to New York City, where Red competes in a dog show. In “Danny’s Humiliation” and “Red’s Education,” Danny has to struggle with Red’s undisciplined energy and his sensitive, proud nature in order to train the dog in the ways of the woods and to harness his hunting instincts without resorting to the traditional, harsh training methods that his father suggests. In “The Leaves Rustle” and “Partridge Dog,” Red protects Danny from a lynx and finds Ross in a snowstorm. Danny discovers, just when he was beginning to doubt Red’s abilities, that Red is everything that he hoped the dog would be.
In “Read the Sign” and “Trap-Line Pirate,” Danny and Red’s relationship solidifies. Working together as a close-knit, mutually supportive team, they capture an escaped convict. They also kill a wolverine that had been threatening their livelihood by stealing animals from their traps and that turned the tables on Danny and Red by stalking them. By the chapter entitled “Sheilah MacGuire,” Danny and Red have become as close as brothers, and Red has a difficult time accepting the new mate that Mr. Haggin sent for him. Finally, in “Old Majesty” and “Trophy for Red,” Danny and Red come into their own as they hunt down Old Majesty and Danny and Ross embark on a new life as dog breeders, beginning with the pups of Red and Sheilah.
Critical Context
Big Red, Jim Kjelgaard’s third novel, was published in April, 1945, by Holiday House, with illustrations by Bob Kuhn. In writing the book, Kjelgaard made use of his own experiences as a woodsman and a lover of Irish setters. The book has been enduringly popular, with a paperback edition published by Scholastic Book Services that was widely available to schoolchildren in the 1960’s. By the 1990’s, the hardcover was still in print and Bantam’s trade paperback edition had more than twenty-five printings. Big Red earned for Kjelgaard an award from the Boys Club of America. Among his many other books about dogs, other animals, young men, and the outdoors are two more about Irish setters, both featuring sons of Red. In Irish Red (1951), the future of Danny, Ross, and the dogs depends on the least promising of Red and Sheilah’s pups. In Outlaw Red (1953), a troubled young man forms a close bond with another of Red and Sheilah’s offspring, but these two find themselves on the wrong side of the law.
In 1962, the Disney Studios released a film version of Big Red, directed by Norman Tokar from a script by Louis Pelletier. Although entertaining, the film has a different plot from the book. In the film, the story takes place in Quebec and is cast in the form of Red’s escape from being sold and his quest to return to the young boy he loves.