The Dog with No Name by Neil Griffiths and Janette Louden
| The Dog with No Name by Neil Griffiths and Janette Louden | |
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| Category: Confident Readers | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: An ideal book for the dog-loving boy or girl who's just losing their reading L plates - and it spells out what owning a dog really means. Recommended. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 128 | Date: February 2016 |
| Publisher: Red Robin Books | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1908702241 | |
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Ella and Harry had been nagging their parents forever about getting a dog, but it wasn't until after the death of the goldfish and the Russian hamster, which they'd only seen five times because it was nocturnal, that their parents relented. Off they went to the dog rescue centre and after what seemed like ages and lots of red tape they had their very own dog. He'd not been in the centre long and had no name but the whole family fell for him and brought him home.
Only, the Dog With No Name wasn't an easy dog. He was big and he was boisterous and most of all he loved digging. He loved digging anywhere and everywhere. When he dug up Dad's beloved vegetable patch everyone thought that this would be the end of dog ownership as Dad had said that if that happened the Dog With No Name was going back to the rescue centre.
I'm always nervous when I pick up stories about families getting a dog: they so rarely equate to what happens in real life. All the checks do take ages - and for a good reason. It's necessary to see that the people who want to take the dog are genuine and that where they live is suitable for a dog. This protects the people who want the dog and the poor animal who has already had his life disrupted and shouldn't have to go through it again. Thankfully Neil Griffiths knows how the system works (or how it should work - if you find a rescue centre which will allow you to just walk off with a dog then you probably ought to go elsewhere) and he doesn't dress it up nicely! If your kids have been nagging for a dog then this book will tell them what it's really like.
Yep - what it's really like. There's the messy business of picking up dog poo: no one thinks it's pleasant, but it has to be done and the bigger the dog, the more you're likely to have to pick up. Dogs need training and exercise too - and not just when you feel like it. There is a happy ending to the story - and it's one which stretches credulity just a little but I doubt the kids are going to be worried about that. Just be a little nervous if the kids start wondering if there might be dinosaur bones under the vegetable patch.
The story is pitched at the seven plus age group and is ideal for the boy or girl who is about ready to get rid of their reading L plates. The font is accessible, the chapters (twelve of them) are of a suitable length for the novice reader and there are plenty of illustrations to help with those pesky difficult words which can creep into books unannounced. The book's informative, accurate but most of all, it's fun. I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
If this book appeals then you'll also like My Funny Family Gets Funnier by Chris Higgins and Lee Wildish and Spring According to Humphrey by Betty G Birney. For more from Neil Griffiths, try The Best Present Ever! by Neil Griffiths and Melanie Siegel.
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You can read more book reviews or buy The Dog with No Name by Neil Griffiths and Janette Louden at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy The Dog with No Name by Neil Griffiths and Janette Louden at Amazon.com.
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