Darrel & Sally Odgers – Aussie Reviews

Pup Patrol 1: Farm Rescue; Pup Patrol 2: Bush Rescue; Pup Patrol 3: Storm Rescue by Darrel & Sally Odgers

‘Baaaa! Baaaaaa! Baaaaaddddd!’ Sheep in a panic make a pawful lot of noise.

‘Can we take the boat to rescue them?’ James shouted. (He had to shout over the noise of the rain, the sheep and the river.) ‘Stamp and your dog work well together. They can help by keeping the sheep in a bunch.’

‘Too Risky, yelled Glen Pepper. Rain dripped off his long nose. ‘Look at that!’

He pointed as a whole tree tore past us on the flood. ‘If that hit the boat, we’d tip over!’

Rusty, the old Border Collie, barked once, sharply. Then he growled, ‘Do something! Quickly!’ to Glen.

Glen stared at the sheep and shook his head. Rain poured down. It was like having a big bucket of water tipped over us.

‘Why are humans so slow?’ said Rusty. ‘Those sheep need help!’

‘Baaaa! Baaaaaa! Baaaaaddddd!’ Sheep in a panic make a pawful lot of noise.

‘Too Risky, yelled Glen Pepper. Rain dripped off his long nose. ‘Look at that!’

He pointed as a whole tree tore past us on the flood. ‘If that hit the boat, we’d tip over!’

Rusty, the old Border Collie, barked once, sharply. Then he growled, ‘Do something! Quickly!’ to Glen.

Glen stared at the sheep and shook his head. Rain poured down. It was like having a big bucket of water tipped over us.

‘Why are humans so slow?’ said Rusty. ‘Those sheep need help!’

Stamp (full name: Barnaby Station Stamp of Approval) is a young border collie and this is his story. He is travelling around Australia with James. James is taking a year off before going to university. James uses the CB radio in his Fourby (ute) to maintain regular contact with his parents at home. Each title includes a list of characters, glossary and many doggy puns. Most openings include black and white illustrations.

In Farm Rescue they take shelter on Pepper Plains when they encounter floods. There Stamp meets Rusty, an older border collie. When the floodwaters rise, it’s up to them to save some sheep. At the end of ‘Farm Rescue’ James adopts another dog, a young and wild pup he calls Ace.

In Bush Rescue, James, Stamp and Ace visit a vet in Jasper. Unfortunately, there’s a bushfire raging and there’s no time for anything but emergency services. James helps out at the vet and together they are involved in pet and wild animal rescue.

In Storm Rescue , James, Stamp and Ace head north into far north Queensland in search of adventure. This time the adventure comes in the form of a cyclone and all three are kept busy with rescues and more in the Atherton Tablelands.

Pup Patrol is told from Stamp’s perspective and Stamp and all the animals he encounters can talk to one another. Stamp is well-behaved and skilled at working with James. Ace, on the other hand is young and a little wild. But between them, James and Stamp teach him how to behave. Each adventure presents a different part of Australia experiencing extremes of weather. There are plenty of insights into dog behaviour and dog training. And there are many puns to set readers giggling. (Perhaps also to encourage them to invent some of their own?) Recommended for newly independent readers ready for chapter books.

Pup Patrol 1: Farm Rescue (ISBN: 9781743622995), Pup Patrol 2:Bush Rescue (ISBN: 9781743623008), Pup Patrol 3: Storm Rescue (ISBN: 9781743623015), Darrel & Sally Odgers Scholastic Press 2015

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

The Kitten's Tale, by Darrel & Sally Odgers

The kitten squalled crossly and clawed at the bars of the cage.
‘That’s not a prison,’ I said. ‘It’s a cage, with a bed and food and water.’ I turned to the kitten. ‘It’s all right,’ I sad. ‘You’re safe. Just make yourself comfortable and Dr Jeanie will—” I broke off. I had started the speech I made to our patients when they’re nervous, but this kitten wasn’t our patient.

A strange kitten has appeared at the vet surgery, and Trump isn’t sure what to think. The kitten doesn’t have a home, but has been brought here by Trump’s friend, Major Higgins. While the kitten is looked after by vet Jeanie, other strange things happen. Someone is stealing Trump’s kibble, and another, vicious cat is on the loose in the area.

The Kitten’s Tale is the fifth instalment in the Pet Vet series, an outstanding series of books for middle primary aged readers. Told from the viewpoint of Trump, the young Jack Russell dog who lives with vet Dr Jeanie the story is part mystery, part educational and wholly fun. Supported by text boxes, black and white line illustrations and front of book character introductions , The Kitten’s Tale can be read without knowledge of the earlier titles.

The Kitten’s Tale, by Darrel & Sally Odgers
Scholastic, 2010
ISBN 9781741697247

This title can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

The Python Problem, by Darrel & Sally Odgers

The snake hissed, hunching and sliding. Now I was looking straight at it, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t noticed it immediately. I bounced back out of range. ‘It’s the escaped python everyone’s been looking for,’ I told Peter Wu. ‘Why didn’t you warn me it was in here?’

When a Python escapes from its tank, the whole neighbourhood is concerned, and Trump must help Dr Jeannie reassure the patients. But on a wet day, Trump finds more than she bargains for when he responds to a distress call from a trapped Siamese cat. She needs to rescue both the cat and the snake.

The Python Problem is the fourth title in the wonderful Pet vet series, featuring Trump, the daughter of Jack Russell, dog detective, from the series of the same name. There are plenty of dog and cat characters in the series, but also the more unusual animal characters such as Diamond, the python. As well as a high-interest story, The Python Problem has elements designed to both appeal to young readers and to enhance their reading – including black and white line illustrations (by Janine Dawson) , definitions of difficult words, and comments on pet care from Trump.

Another great offering in a wonderful series.

The Python Problem (Pet Vet), by Darrel & Sally Odgers
Scholastic, 2009

This book can be purchased online at Fishpond . Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Inspector Jacques, by Darrel & Sally Odgers

Snap! I had my Jack-jaws at his throat. A dog howled for mercy. That was me.
I backed away, chattering my teeth. The other dog smirked. I’d almost broken a fang on the metal studs in his collar!

Jack Russell is not impressed by Sarge’s houseguests – Inspector Cook from the Art Fraud Squad, and his dog, Jacques. The Inspector is on the trail of an art thief who has stolen a famous dog painting – and he suspects Sarge of being the thief. It is up to Jack to solve the mystery and make sure Sarge is not sent to jail.

This is the eleventh title in the Jack Russell: Dog Detective series, and features favourite characters from previous books as well as new ones, especially the humorous French-accented Jacques. With a mystery to be solved, some laughs and lots of intertextual elements including glossaries of unfamiliar words and Jack-Facts, this is sure to appeal to readers aged 6 to 10.

Inspector Jacques can stand alone, with an introduction which explains the series to readers who have not read the earlier offerings.

Inspector Jacques (Jack Russell, Dog Detective S.), by Darrel & Sally Odgers
Schoalstic, 2009

This title can be purchased online from Fishpond . Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

The Blue Stealer, by Darrel & Sally Odgers

Sarge is a clever person.
Even clever people sometimes get hold of the wrong end of the stick.
This is a fact.

Jack Russell, dog detective is back on the case. Someone is stealing special things from the humans of Doggeroo. But what is worse – much worse – is that the favourite things of Doggeroo’s dogs are also going missing. Foxie’s boot, Shuffle’s pug cloth, even the Squekes’ plastic chop, have all gone missing. Jack needs to help his friends get their things back – and, if he does, perhaps he can help Sarge solve the mystery.

The Blue Stealer is the tenth title in the Jack Russell: Dog Detective series, a series which doesn’t become stale. Authors Darrel and Sally Odgers manage to come up with new twists and new characters each time, as well as the familiar first person (first dogson?) narrative of Jack, the Jack Russell terrier who never lets a mystery rest.

Good stuff, sure to entertain young readers.

The Blue Stealer, by Darrel & Sally Odgers
Scholastic, 2009

Motorbike Bob, by Darrel & Sally Odgers

I pricked up my ears and listened. The yelp came again, and I could tell it was coming from partway down the gully. I trotted back up the road and sniffed the air. I could still smell hot trees and a trace of smoke, but I could also smell another dog…It was Motorbike Bob, the border collie.

When trump meets Motorbike Bob, a border collie who travels around on the back of his owner’s motorbike, Bob tells Trump that he’ll never need the help of Trump or Vet Jeanie. But it isn’t long before Trump hears a cry for help and finds Bob in need of attention.

Motorbike Bob is the third title in the wonderful Pet Vet series featuring Trump, the Jack Russell Animal Liaison Officer (ALO) and her person, vet Jeannie. As always, Trump’s role is to work with and settle the patient so that Jeannie can help him – but in this instance Trump also turns rescuer, when Bob is injured and lost.

This series is a wonderful offering for young animal lovers, and each title stands alone, being preface by material which introduces the main characters of the book. With illustrations by Janine Dawson and different text elements including maps, definitions and pet care tips, this is another excellent book from the creators of the Jack Russell Dog Detective series.

Motorbike Bob, by Darrell & Sally Odgers
Scholastic, 2009

The Mare's Tale, by Darrel & Sally Odgers

It was a noisy night at Cowfork House. The rain poured and the wind blew. Every so often, a small branch would crack and I’d hear the rustle and crunch as it hit the ground. It was so noisy that I didn’t hear the midnight train go through from Doggeroo Station.

When rough weather hits, Dr Max finds that his arthritis really bothers him. Trump feels sorry for Dr Max, but as she helps Dr Jeanie do her rounds she realises that it’s not just humans who can be affected by arthritis, when she meets an aging dalmatian. Also having trouble in the stormy weather is Helen, a pregnant mare expecting her first foal. Can Trump and Dr Jeanie help Helen and Paris (the Dalmatian) through their ordeals?

The Mare’s Tale is the second in the Pet Vet series from Darrel & Sally Odgers, who are also the creators of the ,I>Jack Russell: Dog Detective series. Trump is a likeable first person (fist canine?) narrator, who takes her new job as an Animal Liaison Officer at the Pet vet Clinic very seriously, even when she’d rather stay in bed out of the storm, or chase the rats she can hear in the stable. Her animal friends each have their own foibles and oddities which make for an appealing cast of characters.

As well as being entertaining, the series is informative, with Trump offering explanations of animal and veterinary terms, and hints for animal care.

The Mare’s Tale, by Darrel & Sally Odgers

Scholastic, 2008

This book can be purchased online at Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Fowl Play, by Darrel & Sally Odgers

‘All I can smell is chook and soap, and cat,’ said Foxie. ‘There was a strange smell in the yard, but it wasn’t dog. Did you interrier-gate Shuffle?’
‘Not yet.’ I explained how Sarge had dragged me away from the crime scene. Foxie snorted, then sniffed under the door. ‘There’s that strange smell again.’

Something strange is going on in Dogeroo. Auntie Tidge and her friends have all bought chooks, and when the chooks are attacked, the dogs get the blame. But Jack Russell, dog detective is on the case, and he’s sure that his friends are not to blame. The problem is, he doesn’t know who is responsible.

Fowl Play is the ninth offering in the Jack Russell: Dog Detective series, a fun chapter book series for middle primary aged readers. Like the other books in the series, Fowl Play stands alone, although readers who have read the other stories will enjoy seeing favourite characters again and seeing relationships and individuals develop.

Jack is an endearing first-person (or first-canine) narrator, and the chaos of dogs mixing with chooks make this a fun story.

Fowl Play, by Darrel & Sally Odgers
Scholastic Press, 2008

The Kitnapped Creature, by Darrel & Sally Odgers

If you take one horrible familiar cat-erwaul
And add one familiar smell and one yelling human
You get one familiar monster cat.
This is a fact.

All is not well in Doggeroo. Sarge, Jack Russell’s human, is sick in hospital and Jack has come across a problem. Someone has kitnapped Jack’s old enemy, the Awful Pawful. Much as Jack fears the cat, he knows something needs to be done.

In the meantime, Jack has other problems. He has to take care of Preacher, the junior Jack who has come to live with him, and his friend Foxie is sulking and proving difficult. Can Jack Russell solve the case without Sarge’s help?

The Kitnapped Creature is the eighth title in the Jack Russell: Dog Detective series and is filled with the fun and adventure readers have come to expect from the series. For those new to the series, the book stands alone, but will tempt them back to read the earlier titles.

Suitable for readers aged 6 and over.

Jack Russell 8: The Kitnapped Creature, by Darrel & Sally Odgers
Scholastic, 2007

The Phantom Mudder, by Darrel & Sally Odgers

Jack’s Facts
Dogs don’t do anything if there’s nothing in it for them.
People sometimes do.
That makes dogs smarter than people.
This is a fact.

Jack Russell is a fact loving dog. So, when there is a mystery to be solved he carefully establishes the facts then, with a dash of luck, comes up with a solution.

In the Phantom Mudder Jack visits a dog show, with his owner, Sarge. When dogs start turning up for their judging covered in mud, Jack senses a mystery and sets out to solve out. But who would want to mess up the dogs, and how would they do it?

This is the second hilarious title in the Jack Russell: Dog Detective series and is just as clever as the first. There are plenty of cute doggy illustrations, courtesy of illustrator Janine Dawson, and the use of a variety of text-types, including lists, glossaries and maps, which add an element which could be used for classroom purposes.

Loads of fun.

The Phantom Mudder, by Darrel and Sally Odgers
Scholastic Australia, 2005