In the winter, we love to visit Uncle Peter and his gog Millie at the beach. But the day we took our dog Danny with us, everything went wrong! Until Toby had a good idea ...

Review

"I have to confess that I am a huge fan of dogs, so I was bound to like Pamela Allen’s latest picture book. Aimed at children aged three-to-five, Our Daft Dog Danny tells an endearing story about two children who regularly visit their Uncle Peter who lives by the seaside with his dog, Millie. Millie’s chief delight is leaping for balls in the ocean. However, trouble ensues when the children bring along their ‘daft dog Danny’ to join in the fun as he displays a disturbing tendency to bite Millie’s tail at just the wrong moment. The children’s innovative solution to this problem teaches young readers valuable lessons about inclusion, conflict resolution and even lateral thinking. First-person narration, varied font, alliteration and forceful verbs are used to draw in the audience. A direct question at the end of the book—‘What do you think Uncle Peter said?’—also prompts children to extend their engagement with the text beyond what is printed on the page. The illustrations are a delight, especially the exuberant body language and humorous facial expressions of the two dogs. Overall, Our Daft Dog Danny is a joyful canine frolic sure to become a favourite." Leonie Jordan is a high-school English teacher. This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine (April 2009, Vol 88, No 6.) © Copyright 2009, Thorpe-Bowker.