That Is Not a Dog!

A cat who has always been told to stay away from dogs, keeps making new friends that are absolutely not dogs (or are they?) in a hilarious story that shows the folly of making assumptions.

Ollie the cat has never met a dog, but he’s heard they’re terrifying with a loud bark, mean eyes, and giant teeth. Fortunately, as he takes a long stroll, he doesn’t encounter any nasty dogs. Instead, he meets lots of new friends. There’s Mildred—with her black and white fur and kind eyes, she’s definitely a cow. Then he runs into Finchley—with his round snout, enormous size, and love of splashing in puddles, he’s clearly a hippo! Ollie has the best walk as he keeps finding more and more new animal friends. No dogs in this crowd…or are there? Bea Birdsong’s short, funny text and Charlie Alder’s irresistible art will have kids laughing out loud as Ollie mistakenly accepts gossip as truth, leading him to make far-fetched false assumptions.

Full of barking good fun, kids will enjoy spotting all the dogs on every page as Ollie embraces his newfound fur-ever friendships!

Author Biography

Bea Birdsong is the author of I Will Be Fierce!, Sam’s First Word, How to Spot a Best Friend, Boop!, Goat Is the G.O.A.T. (2025), How to Grow a Family Tree (2025), That Is Not a Dog! (2026), and other forthcoming books for children. Bea is also a former teacher who believes in the awesome power of books to educate, entertain, and empower.

Charlie Alder has written and illustrated many books for children, including Daredevil Duck and Chicken Break! She lives in Devon, England, with her husband and son. When not drawing chickens, Charlie can be found in her studio drinking coffee, arranging her crayons, and inventing more accidental animal heroes.