dogs – Page 4 – Aussie Reviews

Seadog, by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Tom Jellett

Our dog is not a trick dog,
a sit-still-then-roll-over dog.
Our dog is a seadog,
a jump-and-chase-the=waves dog.

Seadog is not well-trained, well groomed, trip-performing dog. Instead he is a fun lvng puppy who loves the sea and everything about it: the sounds, the sights and even – perhaps especially – the smells. And it is the smells that get him in trouble, because after he rolls in smelly fish he has to be taken home and washed. Seadog does not like the suds and water of a bath but he endures it, and is soon clean and fluffy – but only until someone opens the door.

Seadog is a delightful romp of a tale about a dog who loves the sea. In turn he is loved by his family and will be loved by young readers. The text is rhythmic and uses repetition, alliteration and internal rhymes to create something fun to read and to listen to. Kids will love joining in, especially on repeat readings, which will be in demand. Illustrations, by Tom Jellett, are a delight, and the big red Seadog comes to life against sandy yellows and watery blues which really capture the feel of the beach.

Perfect for early childhood, this is a book which warms the heart with its zest for life.

Seadog, by Claire Saxby and Tom Jellett
Random House, 2013
ISBN 9781742756509

Available from good bookstores and online.

Meet My Book: Sea Dog, by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Tom Jellett

I’m loving having Aussie authors drop in to tell us all about their latest book. Today I’m especially pleased to welcome my friend, and wonderful children’s author Claire Saxby.Claire is here to tell us all about her beautiful new book, Sea Dog. Over to you, Claire.

1. Give us the details – title, publisher, illustrator, release date.

Seadog, illustrated by Tom Jellett, Random House. Release date was 1 May.

2. Why did you write the book?

I’ve always wanted to write a book about a dog, but even though we’ve had one for the past 6 years, it has taken until recently to find a way to do it. I wanted to capture the boundless joy that dogs seem to have for life. They don’t always do what we might like them to do, but there’s something about they way they are at the beach that is so free. I think children are the same, particularly at the beach. The beach is calming, energising, fun, messy, and hot/cold. And joyful.

3. How long from idea to publication?

This was a short one by picture book standards. I think it was less than two years from concept (in this form) to release. Although I confess to multiple previous attempts that fizzled before even becoming complete horrible first drafts.

4. What was the hardest thing about writing it?

Trusting myself. Letting go and just having fun with it. Getting close in, getting far enough away from the facts to find the fiction.

5. Coolest thing about your book?

To share the joy that a dog can bring. Tom’s illustrations are amazing. Seadog is so expressive.

6. Something you learnt through writing the book?

Not so much learnt but reinforced how much fun there is in playing with words.

7. What did you do celebrate the release?

I’ve had a ‘coastal launch’ for Seadog, but the official launch is yet to come. That’s 2 June at the 10th Williamstown Literary Festival. 2 pm. All welcome. 🙂

8. And how will you promote the book?

I’ve a few school visits planned, I’ll visit bookshops and libraries for story time. I’m also doing some promotion online via my blog.

9. What are you working on next?

I can’t quite decide. I have several projects I’d like to tackle, just can’t decide which one …

10. Where we can find out more about you and your book?

At my website www.clairesaxby.com, or my blog www.letshavewords.blogspot.com. Seadog can be seen in bookshops EVERYWHERE!

Thanks for dropping in, Claire. It’s always a pleasure to chat with you.

Come on Everybody, Time to Play, by Nigel Gray & Bob Graham

Sunday morning.
No school today.
Where is everybody?
It’s time to play.

It’s Sunday morning, which means no school – so why is the narrator of this story the only one up? That’s not really a problem, because she’ll soon have them all moving – cats and kittens, dogs and puppies, little brothers, and even Mum and Dad, will soon be awake and part of her games.

This is a lovely family story of waking up and spending time together. Told in catchy rhyming text which encourages prediction by even very young readers, and also supports guessing of what is under the flaps on some of the spreads. Sturdy card stock and a toddler friendly size ensure this will withstand frequent loving (and reading!).

First published in 2008, and newly released.

Come on Everybody, Time to Play!, by Nigel Gray & Bob Graham
Walker Books, 2012
ISBN 9781921529528

Available in good bookstores and online.

Rainbow Street Pets, by Wendy Orr

What would you do if you lost a pet?
Where would you go if you found one?

When Lachlan has to move from the family farm to a house in the city, the only consolation he can find is that his dog Bear is going to come with him. He loves Bear more than anything else in the world – and Bear loves him, too. But on the way to the city something terrible happens – Bear gets lost. He is devastated, and after searching for days he almost gives up hope. But miracles can happen, and when Lachlan starts at his new school there is someone there who just might have seen Bear.

‘Lost Dog Bear’ is the first of six wonderful animal stories in Rainbow Street Pets. Each is self contained but all are centred about animals lost or adopted from the Rainbow Street Animal Shelter, with the result that characters – animal and human – feature across several stories. There’s the tale of a brave cat that saves its elderly owner’s life, a stolen pony and even an orphaned lion cub.

Highly readable and lots of fun, Rainbow Street Pets is a boon for young animal lovers.

Rainbow Street Pets, by Wendy Orr
Allen & Unwin, 2012
ISBN 9781742379081

This book is available from all good bookstores and online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Selby Sprung, by Duncan Ball

I want to warn you that something terrible happens, and you’ll see when you get to the end. I’m not dead or anything, so don’t worry, but after all these years and so many close calls about keeping it a secret that I know ho to talk –
I better not tell you any more or I’ll spoil it.

How many adventures can one little dog have? Lots, especially if that dog is Selby the talking dog, back in this the sixteenth Selby book. This time Selby falls out of a plane, almost gets eaten by a savage Shark Man on death Island, and has to stop a runaway train. But, worst of all, he is being pursued by the Evil Genius Morrie Artie, who is desperately combing Australia to prove that the talking dog really exists – and to use him in all sorts of ways. Is Selby’s secret about to be revealed to the world?

Selby Sprung offers all the fun and adventure that young readers have come to expect from the series, with humorous adventures, twists and turns and all round silliness. Illustrations (by Allan Stomann) scattered throughout the book add visual appeal, and some chapters are written in diary format by Selby himself.

As with previous titles, this one stands alone, but will encourage readers new to the series to seek the others out.

Doggone good stuff.

Selby Sprung, by Duncan Ball
Angus & Robertson, 2011
ISBN 0780732292638

This book is available from good bookstores, or online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Aussie Dog, by Eleanor Nilsson

It was June, cold and dry.
Sophie couldn’t wait a minute longer.
‘Mum, I know what I want for Christmas. I only want one thing.

Sophie is absolutely certain that she only wants one thing for Christmas. And birthday too, if necessary. A puppy. And she knows just exactly what sort of puppy she wants. She has their life together mapped out. But life doesn’t always deliver what we think we most want. And that’s certainly the case here. Boris is nothing like the dog she’s researched, prepared for and even named. But it’s Boris who has come to stay while her owner is out of action. And Boris is almost the exact opposite of the dog she must have. She’s going to have to work hard to get the dog she wants. Coloured illustrations on every page add humour and break up the text into achievable bites. (he-he) A header and footer suggest the great Australian backyard.

Aussie Dogis a new title in the Omnibus Books series of Australian tales for newly independent readers. Text type varies and highlights words that may provide extra challenge, or perhaps just need emphasis. Sophie is every child who has ever wanted a dog. She’s done her research and she’s sure her fairy tale dog exists and is just waiting for Sophie to discover. There is a gentle suggestion that what we want is not always what we get, but that it can be even better. But it’s subtle. Aussie Dog, like other offerings in this series, has a laugh a page as a child’s imagining is brought to life. Although Sophie seems totally single-minded, she is an open, good-natured and helpful sister, daughter, friend. Recommended for children transitioning from picture books to longer texts, and older children needing an accessible read.

Aussie Dog , Eleanor Nilsson, Beth Norling
Omnibus Books 2011
ISBN: 9781862918689

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author
www.clairesaxby.com

This book can be purchased from good bookstores, or online from Fishpond.

Hairy MacLary, Shoo, by Lynley Dodd

Reviewed by Dale Harcombe

In the world of children’s books, no-one writes and illustrates the rhyming picture books better than Lynley Dodd with her Hairy Maclary series. Her use of language and rhyme is impeccable. She is wonderful for introducing young listeners and readers to new words. Her books are fun and Hairy Maclary and friends are cute dogs who get into lots of scrapes. In that, Hairy Maclary, Shoo is no exception.

I remember giving this to one of my grandchildren in hardcover. All my grandchildren loved hearing and then reading the Hairy Maclary books. They have several.

This latest edition of Hairy Maclary, Shoo is a board book version for those tiny fingers that cannot quite be trusted with the real thing. I have to admit I am not a fan of board books and never have been. I never bought them for my own children and refuse to buy them for my grandchildren, preferring to teach them the right way to handle books from a young age by using proper books. However if you like board books or your children or grandchildren cannot be trusted to care for books, then the board book version of Hairy Maclary, Shoowill be a welcome addition.

Hairy Maclary, Shoo has all the wit and charm of other Hairy Maclary books as Hairy Maclary’s curiosity gets him into one scrape after another and sees him ending up at Magnolia School. This is another gem from Lynley Dodd with the usual expressive illustrations. Great fun.

Hairy Maclary, Shoo By Lynley Dodd
ABC for Kids, 2011
HarperCollins Publishers
Board book RRP $14.99

This book is available in good bookstores, or online from Fishpond.

Dog Tales, by Ken Rolph

Looking for a gift for that hard to buy for person? Can I suggest a copy of Dog Talesby Ken Rolph?

Consisting of all short pieces, it is the type of book you can pick up and read in small bursts. Ten minutes here and half an hour there.

It is a book of anecdotes told with wisdom and humour. No, it’s not all about dogs, though there are some amusing insights in letters from Lord Rupert Pupkin. But it also has a lot about renovations and do it yourself jobs, relationships, and other things. I’m not a person who laughs easily at books. I have been known to read books declared by their blurb to be uproariously funny and barely raise a smile. However, I laughed at the humour of this and the scenes presented. Not just a little sly chuckle. Some real honest to goodness laughter, especially those concerning the bathroom renovations, the pet show and the removal of the oil heater. Being able to write humour is a real gift, not everyone has.

Contrast the funny stories with the gentle parable of the stone and the weed, some haiku, and it makes for an eclectic mix. I particularly liked the haiku about sweet peas, (one of my favourite flowers) and the Indian mynahs. The idea of mynahs as street birds in The writer as and the death of Iris were observant pieces as are many of the others telling of the foibles of people and animals. The description of the pelican’s eyes is one of the clearest I have ever read. If you want a good chuckle check it out.

Dog Tales, by Ken Rolph
Hexagon Press, 2011

The Trouble With Dogs, by Bob Graham

“The trouble with dogs,” said Dad, “is that they take over your life. Run the show.”

Adopted from the rescue centre, Dave is a small pup who Kate thinks is perfect. But sometimes he gets just too excited, and causes problems – jumping onto laps, running through flowerbeds, even stealing cupcakes from visitors’ plates. When Mum finds the phone number for Pup Breakers, a solutions seems at hand. But when the Brigadier starts to train Dave, he loses his sparkle.

The Trouble with Dogs! is a delightful sequel to Let’s Get a Pup, featuring big, slow Rosy and little fast Dave, and their people family. With a gentle lesson for dog owners – and even parents – about the wonder of having a zest for life, this is creator Bob Graham at his best, with deceptively simple illustrations, and text which says only what’s necessary.

The Trouble with Dogs! by Bob Graham
This edition Walker Books, 2010
ISBN 9781406326017

This book can be purchased in good bookstores and online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Dog Gone, by Carol Poustie

couldn’t open the present. Not now, not after hearing the news. And certainly not with Mum and Molly gawking at me. I couldn’t bear the thought of anyone else seeing what he’d chosen for me until I’d seen it myself.
I needed more time to get over the shock. We’d open it later, in my room, Lucky and me. I pushed the pile of presents aside and stood up. ‘I’m going for a walk with Lucky. I’m not in a birthday mood anymore.’

Everything is turned upside-down for Ish. His father has taken a job in Sydney, leaving Ish, his sister Molly and his mother in Melbourne. His grandfather has just died. His mother is travelling to Mongolia with a friend. He and Molly are staying with Gran. As if that wasn’t enough, his dog Lucky has vanished. Ish has always loved staying at Gran’s but this time, everything he does, everywhere he goes is a reminder that Grandpa is no longer there. Molly and Ish both struggle to make sense of their altered world in their own way. Molly lashes out at those closest to her. Ish focuses on finding missing Lucky, his best friend. He writes a poem every day for Lucky. The poems reveal not just Lucky’s adventures but what’s been happening in Ish’s life. Ish also goes fishing with Grandpa’s very special fishing rod. It helps to bring Grandpa close.

There’s a lot going on in Ish’s life. A lot more than any boy and his dog should have to cope with. Death, parents separating, moving house (if only temporarily), bullying and more. At least he has his dog. Until he too disappears. Ish uses his fishing time to think, away from all the ‘noise’ made by Molly, Gran and all her visitors. Ish tells his story in first person. This bring the reader close and allows them to see some things that Ish can’t or won’t. Grandpa was a poet and Ish discovers that he too can capture images in poetry and that this helps him cope while he looks for Lucky. But Grandpa’s influence extends beyond his magic with words. He seems to appear when Ish most needs him. Dog Gone mixes reality with a little magic in a well-paced novel for mid- to upper-primary readers.

Dog Gone Carole Poustie
Avant Press 2010
ISBN: 9780980448450

Reviewed by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author www.clairesaxby.com