Written and illustrated by Michaela Pavlatova , 2002

Synopsis:

Yako is an imaginary dog who befriends children who really want a dog but, for one reason or another, are not allowed to have one. The story begins one rainy day in a dark basement. Yako is telling a group of mice and a cat about his life and adventures with his last owner, a little girl named Fina. Yako was Fina's companion when she was quite small and lived in the city with her parents. She desperately wanted a puppy but, because of the difficulty in raising a dog in the city, was unable to have one. When Fina grew older, the family moved to the country and Fina finally got a real dog. She slowly forgot her old friend Yako, but Yako left without sorrow. He was free now to find another child to befriend and make happy. When the rain stops we see a little boy passing outside the cellar window. Yako leaves the cellar to follow the boy and to become his new friend, his imaginary dog.