A young John Wayne, aka Marion Morrison, is pictured with his younger brother Robert and their Airedale terrier, Duke, circa 1917. Local firemen gave him the nickname “Duke” because he was always seen with his dog—and the name stuck. It eventually became part of his legendary identity. Our Little Duke Series books are inspired by this early bond between a boy and his dog, as well as John Wayne’s Grammy-nominated spoken word album America, Why I Love Her (1973). The series follows Little Duke and Big Duke as they explore classic American values. Shop the Little Duke books, puzzle, and apparel at the link in our bio or at our John Wayne flagship store in the Fort Worth Stockyards, Texas. Image courtesy of the John Wayne Archive featuring Little Duke, Big Duke, Uncle Bob, Clyde Morrison, and Molly Brown Morrison. #JohnWayne #ChildrensBooks #AmericanHistory #GiftIdeas