Best Children’s Dog Books

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Published on Wednesday, 09 April 2014 19:00

Last Updated on 26 November 2014

Monica Costa

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Over the years my son and I have read so many books and we grew fonder and fonder of books starring dogs in particular. Here is the list of the Best Children’s Dog Books published in the United Kingdom.

HERO by Sarah Lean

A well written story about a little dog with the heart of a lion. From the bestselling World Book Day author, Sarah Lean, of a A Dog Called Homeless and sequel to this year’s World Book Day title Jack Pepper. Leo dreams about being a hero. In his imagination he is a fearsome gladiator, but he wants to be a hero in real life. When the boys at school dare Leo to do something he knows is wrong, he lets everybody down. How can he make things right again? A little dog called Jack Pepper is missing and it will take a true hero to find him and bring him home… Hero is an extraordinary story about discovering what makes a true friend and a true hero.

 

 

 

The Scruffy Puppy by Holly Webb, Sophy Williams

RRP £4.99

This is a brand new title in the Animal Stories series from best-selling author Holly Webb, about the true meaning of friendship – and how there’s the perfect pup out there for everyone! Bella instantly falls in love with her scruffy puppy Sid when she sees him at the animal shelter. She gets her family to agree that he’s the perfect pet for them and she cannot wait to bring him home! But Bella’s friend Megan is not too impressed with Sid. Megan is pretty snooty about Bella’s beloved mongrel pet, and she begins to wonder if she’s that good a friend after all. Bella decides to enter Sid into a dog show, so she can prove for once and for all that all dogs are brilliant, no matter where they come from! The Scruffy Puppy is the 27th book in Holly Webb’s Animal Stories series, a must for animal loving girls and boys aged six to eight years.

Holly Webb lives in Berkshire with her husband, three children and two cats. She started writing several years ago while working as a children’s books editor. She now writes full-time, and has written over seventy books including the Animal Stories, My Naughty Little Puppy and Maisie Hitchins series for Stripes Publishing. In 2012 she wrote The Clever Little Kitten for World Book Day.

Sophy Williams took a degree in graphic art at Kingston and was runner-up in the Reader’s Digest Young Illustrators Competition. Her first illustrated book, When Grandma Came, was runner-up for the Mother Goose Award.

Pooch Parlour series

A brand new, glitzy series from Stripes written by Katy Cannon. All the books in the series are full of lovely drawings, adorable animals, celebrity customers and dressing up, the glamorous world of Pooch Parlour is sure to delight young girls who love Rainbow Magic, Secret Kingdom and other sweet and sparkly reads. But it is equally entertaining for boys.

This series seems perfect for kids who love dogs and adore giving them a little taste of luxury, Pooch Parlour is not just any grooming parlour – it’s doggy heaven! It’s the perfect place for pet pampering and the dedicated team of groomers give each dog the star treatment they deserve. In the first book of the series, V.I.P (Very Important Pup!) Abi is over the moon to be spending the summer at Pooch Parlour, her aunt Tiffany’s luxury grooming salon. She can’t believe her luck when a famous actress and her adorable pomeranian Jade appear! Can Abi impress them with the Pooch Parlour pampering treatments? Jade wants to sparkle!

In Dog Star a famous film director is using Pooch Parlour as the official grooming salon for his A-list film-star dogs. Abi is thrilled at the chance to brush up against – and brush the coats of – the most glamourous pooches in town. She even gets to test out her dog-training skills on Pickle, the perky little Yorkie who is destined to become a star. But can Abi help Pickle to get her big break?

The author Katy Cannon was born in the United Arab Emirates, grew up in North Wales and now lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and daughter Holly. She did an English Literature degree at Lancaster University, but soon found out that writing her own stories was much more fun than analyzing other people’s. Katy loves animals and baking.

GOING HOME

Every dog abandoned at Happy Paws Rescue Centre dreams of being rehomed with a loving family, but for Ralph, Fred, Mitch and Bessie the dream seems impossible. They’ve been at the centre for so long they’re considered the No-Hopers – the dogs that nobody wants!

Ralph is determined to make one last attempt to find them all new owners, but time is running out when Happy Paws reviews its policy of never putting an unwanted pet down. Can they prove that they’re worth a second chance or has all hope gone?

Here is a preliminary sketch done by the excellent Trish Phillips of Fred, one of the dogs that features in the novel.

DANNY THE READING DOG SERIES

Danny is a real reading dog, i.e. he goes into school with his owner and listens to children while they read. He does not judge them and by doing so he helps them become more confident readers. It is an amazing service and for this he has become a famous dog both in Britain and in the USA. The books about his adventures are really amusing.

Sad tales for me

This is a very original book idea because the story is written by James Barklee, author and illustrator of this book, an ordinary small dog living an ordinary life. And because of this, the story makes you reflect on dogs’ lives.

James is frustrated. He feels like he is the most misinterpreted member of the family. His size makes him feel overlooked and he is also told off — a lot!

So follow James as he leads us through snapshots of his life that will resonate with both children and adults alike. Through humorous text and exquisite imagery, he blows the lid off what it’s truly like to lead a dog’s life – from aspirations of becoming a guard dog to chasing squirrels and everything else in between!

Pets in Pants [Paperback]

Children as well as adults giggle when it comes to pants’ jokes and chats. Well, not surprisingly it is very funny seeing all these cats, dogs or goldfish wearing colourful underwear in secret. This book is truly pants-tastic and very well illustrated by Omri Stephenson, a prolific illustrator, designer and author who lives and works in London.

It’s fun to turn the pages to find the craziest pets in the weirdest, wackiest most wonderful underwear ever seen! There is also an app for this book. I haven’t tested it but from the reviews I read it seems to be an interactive version of the book.

STICK DOG

Stick Dog is a new breed of hero! In his first adventure, Stick Dog and his friends embark on a quest to steal a hamburger. With hilarious illustrations and pitch-perfect humour, Stick Dog is a must-have for fans of WIMPY KID and BIG NATE.

TODO IN TUSCANY

Todo in Tuscany is about how a couple not only had the Dream, as many of us do, of starting an exciting new life abroad but how they actually did it (they bought a villa near the beautiful walled city of Lucca inTuscany in 2007, while maintaining and running their UK-based business). What they hadn’t planned on was buying a house … with a dog attached.

And they certainly hadn’t foreseen how that dog, Todo, would become an integral part of their new life. It’s quite a remarkable story and the book was published by Hodder in June 2012.

This MUST be my book for the summer 2012. Really a sweet story, it will certainly appeal to all dog lovers and Italy lovers alike. I am Italian and I love dogs so I find myself wanting to read this book more and more. The perfect ‘feel-good’ story for me! The fact that it is a real story, makes the book even more fascinating. I totally recommend it.

My 6 year old son saw the book cover and wanted me to read it to him so we started reading it together and he said that’s the best story I have read to him for a long time.

This book has universal appeal and will be a great companion for this summer. It will certainly be my son’s and mine

Dogs by Emily Gravett

Big dogs, small dogs, stroppy dogs and soppy dogs! Emily Gravett has created another wonderfully satisfying book – with a twist in the tail. This book is published by Macmillan Children’s Books on 5th January 2012. Gorgeous canines of every shape, size and colour are bounding through this irresistible book of opposites. Can you choose one dog to love best of all? With playful pencil and watercolour illustrations to delight children and adults alike, everyone will long to bark along with the Chihuahua and tickle the Dalmatian’s tummy.

Emily Gravett brings us another clever book with a non obvious ending. Kids of all ages will love it. Easy to understand, great illustrations with lots of details, easy to read for school children.

Zoe and Beans series

Zoe and her dog Beans have so many adventures and fun together. Beans is the perfect companion to every child.

The Witch and the Dog

The Witch and the Dog is a laugh out loud story about etiquette. Can a charming witch called Daphne change Harry from a messy, mannerless mutt into a polished pooch? This story appeals not just to kids but to mums too. The illustrations throughout the book are gorgeous.

Eddie and Dog by Alison Brown

This is probably one of my favourite dogs’ stories ever. Eddie is looking for a friend who likes adventures. Then Eddie meets Dog and they become best friends. Eddie takes Dog home but his mum says that Dog can’t stay because Dog needs a garden. Dog has the determination to come back to find his friend Eddie and his loyalty is paid off. Watch the author reading the story – you are in for a real treat! Enjoy!

Stick! by Andy Pritchett

Little Puppy has discovered how much fun it is to play with a STICK. Then he starts searching for a playmate. Then he meets Bird but Bird prefers eating worms. And Cow, Pig also prefer doing other things. With lovely and colourful illustrations, this story is about making a friend and finding someone who understands you.

The Adventures of Shola By Bernardo Atxaga

With very original illustrations by Mikel Valverde, this is the story of a small dog with big dreams.

Michael Morpurgo’s Little Manfred

A few years ago there was an exhibition at the Imperial War Museum in London where one of the exhibits was a carved wooden Dachshund, made by a German prisoner of war. This book is the story of how it got there… When the battleship Bismarck sinks in 1941, young sailor Walter is one of the only German survivors. He is taken aboard a British ship as a prisoner of war, and sent to live with a host family in England. Walter must adapt to a new way of life in the heart of an enemy country. Gradually he finds a firm friend in ten-year-old Grace, the family’s daughter. So when the time comes for Walter to go back to Germany, he leaves Grace a carved wooden dog to remember him by. In 1966, when the World Cup comes to Britain, that opportunity may just have come along to meet again. This book is brilliantly illustrated by Michael Foreman.