#365PictureBooks 68. Doggy Ditties from A to Z by Jo van Dam, illustrated by Myles Lawford

Van Dam, J., & Lawford, M. (2014). Doggy Ditties from A to Z. Auckland, New Zealand: Scholastic.

ISBN: 9781775431886
Pages: 32
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6 / Middle Childhood 7-12
Genre: Picture Book / NZ Fiction / Poetry
Rating: 5 stars

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Doggie ditties, rather witty,
about a kid's best friend;
a crazy collection, a silly selection,
from A through to Z at the end. 

When I first read this book I thought "Huh, that's dumb, the story doesn't rhyme!".  Then I thought about it, flicked through it again and realised "Doh!  They're not supposed rhyme in a continuous and equal way!".  That's because each page is it's own separate and catchy ditty moving through the alphabet from A to Z.  " What a doofus!"

This gorgeous collection of poems (or ditties) takes the reader through the alphabet in a flurry of dogs.  Starting with Alfie the Affenpinscher and Buddy the Boxer, all the way through to the noisy Yorkshire Terrier and poor Jim the Zuchon.  Did you know there is actually a dog that starts with the letter X?  Very sad there was no Shih Tzu like our Charlie, but the Shar-Pei in his too-big coat is a very cute addition.  You can tell that Jo van Dam has done her research on the various types of dogs and their quirks and foibles.  And her love of wordplay shines through in the variety of poems in this collection.

Myles Lawford's illustrations are a beautiful contrast to the witty ditties.  They depict the dogs in a very realistic and easily recognisable way, whilst bringing out the humorous touches as described in the poems.  And to finish off, the final two-page spread is a park scene with all the dogs from within the book, for you to spy.  There is just so much fun to be had looking at the illustrations, regardless of whether you read the poems or not.

What a great book for bed-time reading and for sharing with dog-lovers.  Also good to add to your collection to update your poetry section, and provide some shorter ditties for the Year 3 & 4 poetry competitions.  And of course, for use as an exemplar in classroom literacy sessions, showing a variety of poetry techniques, and promoting that language can be fun to play with.

And as an extra bonus ... Jo is one of us.  A school librarian in New Zealand ... at two primary schools!  I look forward to reading what you publish next Jo :-)

I got my copy of Doggie Ditties from A to Z from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

#365PictureBooks 50. Clementine's Walk by Annie White

White, A. (2013). Clementine's Walk. Frenchs Forest, Australia: New Frontier.

ISBN: 9781921928475
Pages: 32
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6
Genre: Picture Storybook
Rating: 4 stars

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Clementine is bored and decides she wants to go outside in the sunshine for a walk.  She makes messes everywhere as she bumbles her way around the whole family trying to find someone to take her.  But they are all too busy to take her for a walk.  Poor Clementine.  When everyone is finally ready to go they can't find Clementine anywhere!  Where can she be hiding? 

What a gorgeous story.  It has a simple rhyming text and uses language that is aimed at it's younger audience.




The illustrations tie in perfectly with the text and are just beautifully done.  They have quite an 'old-fashioned' look to them.  Done on a pale cream background your eye is drawn to the main focus - Clementine and her antics in trying to get the family to take her for a walk.  Clementine has been shown as a scruffy looking happy dog ... well until she gives up because everyone is too busy.  The illustrations are quite realistic looking, while being done nice and simply and not too complicated for younger children to relate to.  They show the energy and chaos that is part of having a pet dog.  

The end papers are just lovely.  The front shows a trail of Clementines mess, while the back has a map of Clementine's walk when the family eventually takes her out.

The rhyme and the story make this is a beautiful book for reading aloud whether you have a pet or not.  It is also a good title to have in your classroom or library for Year 1 students.   

Teacher notes are available for this Clementine's Walk.

I got my copy of Clementine's Walk from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

#365PictureBooks 34. Snowy the Doganaut by Diego Albuquerque, illustrated by Felipe Vellozo, translated by Peter Dowling

Albuquerque, D. (2014). Snowy the Doganaut. Auckland, New Zealand: Libro International.

ISBN: 9781877514623
Pages: 32
Age Level: Middle Childhood 7-12
Genre: Picture Storybook
Rating: 4 stars

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Snowy is a dog with a difference - a doganaut who comes to Earth in a UFO!  He has ears where his eyes should be, eyes in the back of his head, and a tail on the side of his body. 

A young boy was out walking one night, when a UFO appeared and a white dog was left behind.  Well, he was kind of a dog!  When everyone kept pointing and asking why Snowy was different the boy decides to take him to the vet to me made 'normal'.  But what happens when the scientists and NASA get involved?  And what happens when the vet has to travel to Pluto to try and help out Snowy?

Originally published in 1982 with the title Branquinho, O Dognauta, the 2014 Libro International edition is the first time this Brazilian classic has been translated into English.  Diego Albuquerque made the Guinness Book of World Records as Brazil's youngest author.  He was just 7 years old when he wrote and published this book!  32 years later it has been republished in English for us to enjoy as well.

Vellozo's illustrations are done using blue and white tones and are very simplistic.  Using these tones makes the illustrations more 'spacey' and works perfectly with the story.




What an amazing story.  It is a great exemplar to share with students to promote story writing, and it just goes to show ... you don't have to be an adult to get a book published.

I got my copy of Snowy the Doganaut from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.