The Collingwood Press has released “A Day in the Life of Root Beer (The Dachshund),” a children’s picture book written by Mark Eggers. The book, available now on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, follows Root Beer, a dachshund, through a single day at home with Mommy and Daddy. It begins with Root Beer waking in his crate to the smell of coffee and ends with him asleep in it again.
In between, the story captures a series of small, familiar moments: Root Beer eats breakfast, plays tug-of-war with his fox toy, rides to the park, answers a squirrel, stops for ice cream, and settles on the couch between Mommy and Daddy for the evening. The narrative stays with the routines of an ordinary day—banana slices and blueberries with breakfast, a ball nudged under the couch followed by barking until it is fished back out, Daddy asking him to step back from the dishwasher, and three circles in his favorite spot before he curls up against Dad’s leg.
The book is fully illustrated in color, with each spread moving to a new part of the day, from the kitchen and living room to the park, the ice cream shop, and the house at night.
Root Beer is Eggers’s own dog. Eggers and his wife, Kathy, did not have a dog until they were 67. Root Beer, named for his coat color, has been with them for about five years. His title page lists a few of his other names, including Ninja Wiener, Rooty Beer, RB, Harry Houweenie, and Rootie Tootie. The book is dedicated to Eggers’s entire family, “who all have an opinion about Root Beer.” Eggers and Kathy have four children, ten grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
The release of this book matters because it highlights the quiet value of everyday experiences and the deep companionship pets provide, especially for older adults. By focusing on a single, uneventful day, Eggers underscores how small routines—meals, play, walks, and rest—form the fabric of a happy life. The story also reflects a growing trend of later-in-life pet ownership, as the Eggerses welcomed Root Beer into their home at age 67, and it celebrates the joy and purpose a pet can bring to a family across generations.
With its gentle, relatable scenes and colorful illustrations, “A Day in the Life of Root Beer (The Dachshund)” offers young readers a comforting glimpse into the life of a beloved pet and the simple pleasures that fill a day.
