View source for The Dust Pups by Linda Cooper

{{infobox2
|title=The Dust Pups
|sort=Dust Pups
|author=Linda Cooper
|reviewer=Sue Magee
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=When Cosmo the Wizard's cat accidentally knocks his magic wand from the table something very strange happened. A coolection of seven short stories for pre-schoolers.
|rating=3
|buy=Maybe
|borrow=Maybe
|pages=32
|publisher=Shieldcrest
|date=October 2012
|isbn=978-1907629440
|website=
|video=
|aznuk=1907629440
|aznus=1907629440
|cover=1907629440
}}

It had been snowing and was very cold outside.  Cosmo, Wizard Willoughby's cat wanted to play, but the Wizard was too tired - in fact he was so tired that he went off to bed leaving his magic wand on the table.  Cosmo was in playful mood and so was his friend, Tilly Mouse and it was inevitable that something would get knocked over.  It was, of course, Wizard Willoughby's magic wand and with a bang four coloured stars shot out of the wand and four piles of dust disappeared.  In their place were the Dust Pups - Bluebell, Inky, Cherry and Sunny - for Cosmo and his friends to play with.

There are seven short stories about the Dust Pups, Cosmo, Wizard Willoughby and their friends.  The colourful pictures are rather smaller than you might expect in a children's picture book and there's more text on each page - but this means that you get quite a few stories in the book.  It's possible to have a couple of stories at bedtime - and still have more left for another night.  There's an emphasis on friendship and helping each other, but it's done with subtlety and there's no heavy moral for a child to digest.

I liked the humour too.  When you see Cosmo asleep in his basket, have a look at the picture of Wizard Willoughby on the wall.  He seems to be asleep too.  You even get a friendly greeting from Sammy Snail.  There's lots or children to look at and discuss.

It's a great pity that the book was not properly proofread before publication as there are quite a few grammatical errors which do pull the adult reader out of the story.  This can be glossed over by a parent reading to a child, but it does mean that the book isn't suitable for the emerging reader, which is a pity.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

If this book appeals then we think you'll also enjoy [[A Little Bit of Winter by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell]].

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[[Category:Emerging Readers]]