The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan: A Guest Post from Jasmine Warga

Two unlikely animals become furry friends in this heartwarming story of connection that is inspired by true animal stories from zoos across the country. Read on for an exclusive essay from Jasmine Warga on writing The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan. 

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I have always loved animals. When I was a kid, I checked out every book I could find about dolphins from my school’s library. I conducted elaborate reenactments of the Animorphs books on the playground, and most of my earliest writing was in the form of letters to my parents begging them to let me get various pets.

I especially loved cheetahs. I even did my fourth-grade biography project on Cathryn Hilker, the legendary founder of the Big Cat Ambassador Program at the Cincinnati Zoo. But it had never occurred to me to write a book about a cheetah until a few years ago, when I was visiting that same zoo with my own children and learned about the special relationship between dogs and cheetahs within zoo settings. 

At some zoos across the country, dogs are matched with cheetahs as their playmates and companions, to aid in the wild cats’ social development. The dogs and cheetahs often become quite bonded as a result.

Writing for young readers gives me the chance to create stories about incredible and sometimes even fantastical things. But I also get to address real issues that are important to me. While The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan is full of interesting animal facts, it’s also about found family, friendship and belonging, and overcoming anxiety.

As a child, I struggled with feeling like I needed to be perfect. I believed that I would only be accepted and loved if I excelled at doing things like getting good grades or scoring goals on my soccer team.

Accomplishments like that are wonderful, but they aren’t the sum of who we are. And they definitely aren’t the reason the people in our lives care about us.

In this story, both Chase and Finnegan learn about what it means to be a good friend—that it’s okay to sometimes not be okay, and that no one is perfect. Our friends are there with us through the good and bad times. And there can be so much joy in having a friendship with someone who has a new perspective.

Kids are vulnerable. They are hungry to know more about the world but also can feel powerless in the face of the world’s many ills. I try to write stories that speak to the beauty of being young, the shine of being brave, but at the same time let kids know that life can be messy and complicated.

I hope this book delights my fellow animal lovers. I hope it lets anxious kids know that they aren’t alone. But most of all, I hope it encourages them to reach out to a classmate or a neighbor who may seem different and see if there’s a potential friendship there. Our world is better and richer when we all take care of one another.