Dogmatic: A Pop-Up Book

The Book

The Text

Phife loved the home he shared with his human, Luna.

As long as Luna was nearby, Phife felt secure.

Phife took Luna for walks in the park whenever she asked him to.

When Luna praised Phife, Phife felt good.

But when he saw something that he could not control, Phife lost control of himself.

Phife could sense when he was about to be left alone but he never knew why it was happening. Would knowing the reason help? He was not sure.

But when Luna started rushing around and turning on music without sitting to listen, he knew something must be wrong.

He cried out for Luna, “What if something happened to her? What if she needs me?”

Every time Phife was left alone he jumped at the knob. He knew that was how Luna opened the door but he was too short and his little paws could not operate it.

But this time the door was left open. Phife nudged it with his head. He could go out! He could be free! He could find Luna!

But when the door slammed behind him, he suddenly felt a wave of regret.

“I miss my food! I miss my toys! I miss my bed!”

It was too late. Phife had given them up before he even realized it.

“Now I really need to find Luna,” he said to himself.

When Phife got to the park he saw a familiar threat.

“It’s that chipmunk-jerk who I hate!”

Before he even realized it, Phife was consumed with a need to attack.

Phife did not mean to hurt the chipmunk, he just wanted to feel like he was in control. So Phife chased the chipmunk into the park.

While Phife chased the perceived threat, he lost sight of where he was going and his mission to find Luna. Suddenly, he was in a part of the park he had never visited before.

When he realized that he was lost Phife cried out, “How can I find Luna if I can’t even find myself?”

Phife thought he was alone.

But he wasn’t alone. A bird heard him and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Phife told the bird his woes and the bird offered to help him find Luna.

Phife described Luna with her brown hair and soft t-shirt he liked to nap beneath. Phife missed napping.

As Phife waited for the bird to return he noticed the threat. But it id not seem like a threat any more. It was minding its own business and looking for food. Phife felt embarrassed that he had assumed the chipmunk was a threat. Phife also missed food. At home he always knew that he could trust Luna to feed him.

But threats are real and they don’t always come from where you expect them. When Phife was faced with a real threat, all he wanted to do was hide.

The bird flew back to Phife and Phife felt relieved. Why had he been so reluctant to trust that it would return?

“I have good news,” the bird said. Phife’s heart grew light.

“You found Luna?”

“Yes,” the bird replied, “This park is filled with hundreds of Lunas!”

Phife felt betrayed as he looked at the stupid bird.

“There’s only one Luna.”

With no hope of finding Luna, Phife rested. It had been a long day and he needed to accept his new life as a beast of the park.

Until he heard some familiar music…

Phife followed the music until he found something astonishing! It was an assembly of more humans than he had ever seen gathered together in one place before. He couldn’t control any of the humans but he didn’t feel like he needed to. Phife found Luna singing along to the song that always made her feel secure. She was SHOCKED when she saw Phife, but glad he somehow found her.

Phife and Luna listened to the concert together.

Then they walked home together.

Then they snuggled together.

With a newfound sense of trust, Phife finally felt secure.

The Presentation

The Exhibition