ELISE AND THE SECOND HAND DOG, by Bjarne Reuter, reviewed by Saviour Pirotta

Title: Elise and the Second-Hand Dog
Illustrated by Kirsten Raagaard
Translated from the Danish by Sian Mckie
Published by Wacky Bee Books, 2018

Bjarne Reuter is considered a national treasure in Denmark. His first children's book, Kidnapping, was published in 1975 and since then he has won major awards in both his native country and Germany.

Now Wacky Bee Books brings us his 2016 middle-grade novel, Elise and the Second-Hand Dog.  Elise, who lives in Copenhagen, misses her mum who is helping to build a suspension bridge in the Amazon rainforest.  Her dad, a violinist, gives in to her pleas to buy a dog. As there's not much money, the only pug they can afford is a second-hand asthmatic one with a rotund belly, spindly legs and ears that stick out at different angles. He smells of cheese. A close encounter with a cement mixer has left him looking worse for wear. Elise's dad thinks he's the most horrible-looking dog in the world but Elise decides he's as handsome as a prince and decides to name him Prince Valiant the Great.

During a private, Christening ceremony, involving Russian choral music and white vermouth borrowed from an eccentric neighbour called Miss Martini, the dog reveals that he already has a name. McAduddi. He's from Tobermory in Scotland and, yes, he can talk. His mum taught him. Together, Elise and McAduddi, have a string of wonderful adventures that cements their friendship forever.

This is a delightful book, full of warmth, humour and well-defined characters you will fall in love with. Elise's community comes alive on the page and reveals itself to be a warm, welcoming one. Kirsten Raagaard's illustrations are a joy that enhance the story. It's one to come back to over and over again. I especially love how Reuter and his translator don't shy away from using difficult names of composers and places.  The book is about to be turned into a film and a television series in Denmark. I hope they'll be released here too, and that more of Bjarne Reuter's books make it to our shores in translation. This one is a gem.

Saviour Pirotta is the author of the Ancient Greek Mysteries published by Bloomsbury. Visit him at www.spirotta.com. Follow on twitter @spirotta.

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A DOG CALLED FLOW by Pippa Goodhart Reviewed by Adèle Geras

My usual disclaimer to start with: Pippa Goodhart is a friend of mine but I promise you I am reviewing her book because I like it   and because, apart from liking it, I think that this kind of book is often overlooked in the press and online in favour of louder, more glamorous books: books which are perceived as sensational in some way: newsworthy,  shocking, edgy.

This short novel was actually Pippa Goodhart's very first book and was shortlisted for the Smarties Prize. It's now  been reissued by Troika Books. It's short and there's a lot to be said for books which are designed for  younger children in a way that isn't too daunting or difficult, and this length will attract readers who might be put off by something denser and more complicated.

One of this story's  most important achievements  is that it encompasses many different plot strands and themes in a very elegant way. It's economical, too, and manages to paint a picture not only of a landscape, but also of a community and a particular family in very few words but without leaving anyone feeling short-changed.

 Oliver is having trouble at school. He can't quite manage reading and writing as well as he would like to.  He desperately wants a dog.   He has a problematic relationship with  Craig, a boy in his class. His parents and sister provide a happy family for him to live in, but even there, his Dad seems set against the idea of a puppy.

For  a while, Oliver  has to hide Flow,  but eventually, even Dad is won over by the puppy who is partly blind. Oliver didn't have to pay for Flow, because the farmer knows he won't make a working dog on the Fells.  

I'm not going to tell you more of the plot, but tension and excitement mount as the story progresses and everything is as  sharply organised and worked out as you could wish for. Problems that Goodhart has set up are resolved in a neat and convincing way, and the satisfaction of a happy ending for everyone is very welcome. 

This would  be a perfect book for readers who are just beginning to try whole books on their own and I think every classroom ought to have a copy on their shelves.

Readers also, incidentally, get a good idea of what the Fells look like and learn about the work of the Mountain Rescue teams. It may be a short book but it packs a punch....and there's a nice little surprise at the very end, which I am not revealing!

Illustrated by Anthony Lewis
Pbk: TROIKA BOOKS (price  £5.99)
ISBN: 9781909991163

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PLUMDOG by Emma Chichester Clark Reviewed by Adèle Geras

I first met Plumdog through the internet.  She is a dog belonging to the artist, Emma Chichester Clark who started a diary/blog which she posted on  Twitter. Lots of people fall in love virtually these days and I fell in love with Plum.

She lives with Emma and her partner conveniently near the river in London.  A good thing for her, because one of the things she likes doing most is jumping in water. She loves rivers, streams, the sea, puddles...any water will do.

She has lots of friends, both canine and human and she lives a life which seems to me to be completely blissful. It's full of croissants, walks, trips to the seaside and lots and lots of relatives who all adore Plum.

You'd think from this description that Plum would be spoiled, but no! She's delightful in every way: amusing, charming, slightly waspish when called upon to be so and flirtatious at times too. There are moments of sadness (like the terrible time Plum spent a Channel Crossing in a car situated in the dark hold of the ferry.)  She is also very not keen on  being left. She knows about Packing and what it might mean...

Samuel Johnson had Boswell and Plum is just as lucky to have the wonderful Emma Chichester Clark as her scribe and illustrator. We all know Chichester Clark's work in the Blue Kangaroo books and very many others. She's one of the most sought-after and acclaimed illustrators in the world of children's books and her style, which is at the same time both impressionistic and detailed, is perfect for bringing to life Plum's voice. The pages are edged with what looks like a doggy  fabric pattern and there's huge variety in the layout. Some pictures spread over the whole page, some are laid out in a cartoon style. Some are the perfect background for Plum's  philosophical musings,  such as this one. If you can't read the text, I'll add it here. Plum says: "The tide comes in. The tide goes out. The tide comes in. The tide goes out. This is my place. Forever."

If you have any friends who are dog mad, then this is the book for them. I am a devoted cat lover but have recently acquired a grand- dog who is as charming in his way as Plum. I wish I had the talent and the skill to write a diary for him half as interesting and exciting as this one is. It's not every dog, though, who has her own book, and as I realized  when I first met her, Plum is a total star!

PLUMDOG is published by Jonathan Cape most beautifully in hardback. The book costs £16.99 and is worth every penny. If ever there was an example of a book that needs to be on paper, this is it.

 Turning the book  over to check on the ISBN (9780224098403) I see it's described as a GRAPHIC NOVEL.  That's right, I think and I can't wait for more from the musings and reflections of  Plumdog. 

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