Books we like

Dan and his ‘wonder-dog’ Diesel are inseparable. They live a full and independent life together, going shopping, out for walks and playing in a jazz band. However, one day, Diesel goes missing, and Dan has to face life without his faithful friend. Eventually Dan and Diesel are reunited, and it is only at this point that the reader learns that Diesel is Dan’s Guide Dog.

Through withholding the information about Dan’s disability until the end of the book, young children will have already identified with the main character, through his active lifestyle and his obvious affection for his dog. The book very skilfully shows the fear and vulnerability Dan feels without Diesel by his side, through the use of dramatic illustrations in pastel, torn collage and crayon. After finishing the book, my son likes to return to re-read these particular pages and I ask him to try and imagine how life must seem for Dan in this scenario. This is a really good book that can be read on many levels, and will be a firm favourite on your child’s book shelves.

Once home, Billy fills his bucket with water and from then we get to share the wonderful undersea world he finds in there, through the gloriously bright and colourful images of fish, sealions and submarines. Billy’s parents clearly believe he is only imagining the contents of his bucket and they tease him mercilessly all day. Before bedtime, Billy makes it very clear that his Mum and Dad are not allowed to use his bucket, but when his Dad uses it to wash his car the next morning, the last laugh is on Billy… The page when the surprise ending is revealed gets better and better with each read, and is eagerly anticipated by the adults and children in this house!

Each animal worries that the kangaroo will take over their job but at the end of the story discover the kangaroo is a baby-minder – “I look after the young and carry them when their little feet get tired” (making this a particularly nice book for childminders and babysitters to share).

I love this book for a number of reasons. Firstly, the illustrations are wonderful – bright, simple and guaranteed to appeal to the very young. The easily recognisable pictures help your child learn their animal names and the story teaches where farm products such as milk and wool come from.

Although the story is well-paced and exciting, it has the repetitive structure which toddlers absolutely thrive on, as one-by-one each animal express concern about how the kangaroo will take over their jobs. The animals’ reactions to the potential loss of their roles are highlighted on each page – “How dreadful!” “How horrible!” “How frightful!” – phrases which have my son laughing like a drain, especially when Daddy reads them in a funny voice!

The repetitive format also means the book can be abridged to suit the age of the child; for younger children you can just read the first and last sentence on each page – “‘What if she can give milk?’ said cow. ‘How shocking!’ said everyone” – and then gradually bring in more of the story as your child’s attention span increases. This makes the book suitable from older babies right up to school-age readers (for whom the story gently introduces the concepts of prejudice and tolerance).

Holly is a really believable character. She's a modern little girl with messy hair, wellies and jeans who plays outside, which makes a refreshing change from the 'fairy princess' role models elsewhere. The story is well structured and uses a wider range of vocabulary than most picture books so would be appropriate book for older children reading independently, as well as being a great rainy-day book to curl up with and read aloud to your toddler.

The artwork in this book is a particular feature. The pictures are drawn with a great deal of warmth, with the attention to detail - jar of marmite on the table, crayons on the windowsill, plastic spade in the flowerpot - which means your child can relate to the story, and makes the book a pleasure to read for the adult.

The book begins and ends at nightime, with Holly tucked up in asleep, making this a really magical book to read before bed. The ending of the book never fails to bring a lump to my throat, as Holly learns that while you might not always get what you wish for, what you end up with is often a great deal better.