Road trip: Children’s book author Natalie Knox
Stopover on my way from Gibraltar to Granada
After my visit to the Los Barillos dog shelter, I’m eager to see nearby Gibraltar. From there, I have just under three hours to reach my appointment near Malaga. Let’s go.
It’s muggy this morning as I get into my VW Polo; every now and then a few raindrops fall. My rational mind tells me, “Forget Gibraltar. Just drive straight to your 1:00 p.m. appointment near Málaga. No stress at all.” But I just can’t get “it” out of my head… the Rock of Gibraltar. I absolutely have to see it. There’ll be plenty of time, I think. And I step on the gas.
It’s easy to forget: Gibraltar, at the tip of Spain, actually belongs to the United Kingdom, so it’s British territory. That means you have to go through customs if you want to take a closer look at the Rock. And the Museum of Military History, the famous monkeys roaming freely on the Rock… and the supposedly delicious pastries at the big British supermarket. For someone as prejudiced as me, culinary delights and English cuisine are mutually exclusive, but in this case I’ll just have to take their word for it, because in the end I’m missing out on all these tourist attractions.
It dawns on me that I simply don’t have enough time to do everything I’d like to do, or to see everything I’d like to see this morning in Gibraltar. Instead, I drive along the beach promenade, casting several glances at the massive, solitary rock—and turn my Polo around before reaching customs. At 1 p.m., I have a meeting at the Banana Kitchen in Mijas near Málaga with children’s book author Natalie Knox. That takes priority. Plus, I have to be in Granada by 4 p.m. at the latest. A tight schedule, but also a very exciting one.
I first heard about Natalie Knox from Anna Clements, the co-founder of SOS Galgos, a shelter for Spanish greyhounds, known as galgos, in Barcelona. She showed me the picture book “Bonito, the Hero”, in which Bonito, a galgo, goes on all sorts of adventures. With this book, the staff at SOS Galgos raise awareness among schoolchildren about the suffering and lives of these animals, which are used as hunting dogs and often treated brutally (see my story below). Natalie Knox not only wrote the story about Bonito but also illustrated it.
The award-winning children’s book author lives with her family in Mijas, near Málaga on the Mediterranean coast. Since my journey from Gibraltar to Granada takes me past Málaga, I seize the opportunity and arrange to meet her. When the South African-born author, who has lived in Spain for more than two decades, sits across from me at a small round café table, she doesn’t pull the story of Bonito, the young Galgo, out of her handbag, but instead lays the five volumes of her latest cat book series on the table in front of her, “The Adventures of Kitty Corner.” The series follows Lucy and her friends as they care for stray cats in a “cat colony” in the forest. Since an animal welfare reform in September 2023, local governments in Spain have been required to feed ferral cats and have them spayed or neutered.
The stories were inspired by a feeding station for feral cats near Natalie Knox’s home. “My daughter loves to fetch cat food and set it out for the shy kittens. We then wait at a distance to see which cats show up and admire their colorful fur.” Knox’s own cat, Sterling, was a loyal—if somewhat sleepy—companion while she was writing and illustrating the cat books, the author jokes.
Natalie Knox also drew inspiration from real life for her first book, *Bonito, the Hero*—specifically from Benji, her Spanish greyhound (Galgo). Years ago, he was wandering the streets of Barcelona all alone. “Young, healthy, and strong, with a shiny black coat and a long, swishing tail,” is how Knox describes him. A white blaze also shone on his narrow black face. Anna Clements’ animal welfare organization, SOS Galgos, took him in until he found a safe and loving home with a family. “That family was us,” says Knox. Benji was part of their family for more than ten years, until he passed away at the age of 16 in early 2026. His trademark—and therefore also Bonito’s in the book: “He wasn’t afraid of loud noises at all, not even fireworks.”
Although she lives in Spain, Natalie Knox writes her stories in her native language, English. “Bonito, the Hero” has since been published in Spanish and is even used by local teachers in the classroom, the author explains. She hopes this will soon be the case for her cat stories as well. Natalie Knox wouldn’t be Natalie Knox if she didn’t already have her next book project in mind. This time, the protagonists will be donkeys. The idea came to her during a visit to “Donkey Dreamland.” The donkey sanctuary is located very close to Mijas, where Natalie Knox lives with her family, and takes in old, sick, and abused donkeys. Just as galgos are used for hunting in Spain and are often mistreated by their owners, donkeys are still used as pack and work animals and are frequently beaten or otherwise brutally treated.
While the story of the fearless Galgo Bonito is a picture book meant to be read aloud to children ages 3 to 6, and the cat books delight 7- to 10-year-olds, Knox intends to write the donkey book for the target audience of teens aged 11 to 14. “When children are still young, it’s important to instill empathy for animals in them,” says Knox, who used to be an elementary school teacher. That’s why she’s put a lot of thought into the educational aspects of her books and often takes them to the nearby International and British schools. “Once the children can read, I talk to them about the book’s message and how they themselves can convey a message.” One day, perhaps, there will also be a story for “the older kids”—that is, for 15- to 17-year-olds—perhaps about a young bull destined for death in a bullfighting arena. A tough topic. Based on what I’ve learned about Natalie Knox over the past hour, the bull in her book—or an animal-loving person who cares for him—will surely find a way for him to escape this cruel fate.
A glance at my watch tells me it’s about time for me to head out. I say goodbye to my pleasant conversation partner and climb back into my old but sturdy VW Polo—which I’ve dubbed “Red Flash,” apparently for good reason—and set off on what Google Maps says will be the final 163 kilometers of the day. Four-lane highways lead out of the area around the city of Málaga, which is home to countless foreign “ex-pats.” After a while, I turn toward Granada and continue on a two-lane expressway. Finally, the Sierra Nevada mountain range comes into view, telling me I’m almost there. Sure enough, I arrive at my destination right on time around 4 p.m.
This text was originally published on my German website and translated by me.
Road trip Berlin – Spain, part 6
Spanish greyhounds, Galgos, are used for hunting, and many are cruelly killed or abandoned by hunters at the end of the hunting season. The SOS Galgos association educates children about their plight.