posted on 16 Apr 2017

A pack of delightful picture book dogs

My grandson is only nine months old but is already besotted with dogs. Every time he sees one, his little eyes blaze and his whole body goes rigid with excitement. It seems that I am the only one in my family who doesn’t really care for these smelly, demanding, bouncy creatures and I much prefer a quiet, clean fictional dog, of which there are many.

Despite their huge popularity, I just can’t take to the series of picture books about Spot the Dog by Eric Hill. There is something about Spot’s inane two dimensional look and his hum drum life that doesn’t thrill me at all. Yes, I do realise that he is only a puppy and that his innocence is part of his charm but there are far more exciting fictional dogs with personality and panache that I would positively welcome into my home.

 

For instance, only a hard hearted person could not like the puppy at the centre of the story of Charley’s First Night by Amy Hest, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. Charley is a soft, very clean looking little floppy eared stray who is taken in and cared for by two young children who manage to convince their dubious parents that this is a good idea. This story works for me because, although it is very sentimental, it shows such kind children who genuinely want to make the puppy feel at home during his first night in an unfamiliar place. This includes lots of getting up to check on him, providing gentle reassurance and showing him around the house which rather reminded me of the boy in The Snowman by Raymond Briggs, especially the scene with the parents sleeping in their bedroom.   

Dan and Diesel by Charlotte Hudson, illustrated by Lindsey Gardiner is a lively story about the many adventures of a boy and his jet black dog. These include playing jazz in The Swingtime Café together and going for long walks together. This is until the sorry day that he gets lost but, because he is a ‘wonder dog’, who can do anything, he eventually finds his way back home. It isn’t until the last double page spread that we see from the picture that Diesel is a Guide Dog. I really like the smileyness of this good time dog who is also a helpful companion.

I am very fond of both eponymous characters in Melrose and Croc by Emma Chichester Clarke. This is another story about companionship, this time between a crocodile and a yellow dog called Melrose. His rather smart city apartment, which he is decorating in preparation for Christmas, indicates that he is materially comfortable, but he is sad because he lacks a friend to share it all with. As he is driving his splendid red car through a large puddle the next day he accidently splashes Croc who has come to the city in order to meet Father Christmas. Their paths almost cross a few times early in the story but it is not until they literally crash into one another at the outdoor skating rink that they find one another. They quickly realise just how much they have in common over a splendid afternoon tea and so decide to spend their first Christmas together. Melrose has many admirable qualities as he is sleekly handsome, stylish, a very good listener, exceedingly generous and he drives and cooks too.  

I have already sung the praises elsewhere of the amazingly helpful and energetic book loving dog, Nell who in The Detective Dog by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Sarah Ogilvie. An animal that has such a strong commitment to helping children to use libraries is one that would be also very welcome.

But my all- time favourite fictional dog has to be Courtney by John Burningham. Just imagine how fantastic it would be to have a dog that is willing and more than able to cook a delicious meal for the family, can play the violin and is also a competent juggler! He has rather an unkempt Bohemian look ‘ quite old, with big eyebrows’ when the children first meet him at the dog’s home and their parents are not at all impressed with their choice, especially as they had been instructed to select one with a pedigree. After spending his first night sleeping in the kitchen, he has disappeared in the morning only to return later dragging a huge pink trunk behind him covered with stickers that show he has travelled all over the world. He proves himself to be a considerate dog that spends time with all the family members, helping them out in many different ways and even rescuing the baby from a house fire. Eventually this talented but essentially independent dog leaves them to return to his travels and perhaps to spend time with another family, rather in the way of Mary Poppins. Despite his disappearance, someone mysteriously saves them when their boat drifts out to sea during a holiday at the seaside, probably Courtney. Even if Courtney only stayed for a short while, he would be so much more fun than Spot.

Given the evidence, surely no one could argue that a real dog is better than any of these wonderful, interesting, muti- talented and loyal fictional dogs? I rest my case.

Karen Argent

April 2017