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DoggerShirley Hughes
Dogger
by Shirley Hughes
Dave loses his beloved toy dog and cannot sleep without him. Dogger turns up on a stall at the school fair, already sold to somebody else.
A story about children and families, gentle and warm in tone. We would put it with children of 3–6, and at a reading age of about 5 for reading alone.
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Our take on this book
Dave loses Dogger, his beloved soft toy, and the world tilts the way it does for a small child who has lost the one thing that matters — until Dogger turns up on a stall at the summer fair, and Dave's big sister Bella does something quietly wonderful to get him back. Shirley Hughes won the Kate Greenaway Medal for this, and it is perfect: her warm, exact pictures of ordinary family life, the real ache of the loss, and an act of sibling love that lands like a lump in the throat. Nothing frightening happens; the drama is entirely the size it feels to a young child, which is enormous. For a three- to five-year-old — especially one attached to a particular toy — it is a deeply comforting read that takes their feelings completely seriously, and the happy ending is one of the most satisfying in all of picture books. A tender, timeless classic that families keep for generations.
If they like this, try these
Chosen by matching age, reading age, tone and subject — not by what is selling.
Alfie's FeetShirley Hughes
Alfie Gets in FirstShirley Hughes
TitchPat Hutchins
Milly-Molly-Mandy StoriesJoyce Lankester Brisley
Or let them write their own.
Nothing gets a child reading like a story they invented themselves. Your child plans the characters and the plot, and we write, illustrate and print it as a real book with their name on the cover as the author.
Find another book
Tell us the age, the reading age and what they like, and we will suggest a handful.