Written by Bill Bucklin

Artist and author Nils Hogner was well known in Litchfield from the 1930s until his death in 1970. He wrote and illustrated a dozen children’s books on his own, in addition to illustrating sixty others, thirty of them written by his wife Dorothy.

Boldy, created by Hogner in 1953, is the story of a timid little puppy who is laughed at by his littermates for not living up to his name. But one day Boldy faces down a fox and discovers that a big heart can live in a small body.

Hogner captures Boldy’s timidity perfectly on the cover, setting the stage for the captivating illustration of Boldy’s triumphant reunion with his deeply impressed family after the fox encounter.

Nils Hogner and his wife Dorothy lived at Hemlock Hill Farm in Litchfield. Hogner was known for his murals, and contributed posters for local horse shows. Many of Hogner’s children’s books are about horses, among them Dynamite the Wild Stallion and The Nosy Colt.

Hogner grew up in Massachusetts, studied art in Boston, and traveled to the Southwest to begin his painting career. He met and married Dorothy while he was a professor at the University of New Mexico. It isn’t clear what prompted the couple’s move to Litchfield, but their residence was very much the community’s gain.