Very funny childrens book (in a deliciously naughty way) (A Dose of Dr. Dog - Babette Cole)

Member Name: fergusa

Product:	A Dose of Dr. Dog - Babette Cole
Date:	23/06/09 (56 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Teaches children about common conditions. Beautiful illustrations. Very funny.

Disadvantages: None unless you find it a bit distasteful.

I found this book in Marks & Spencer at Christmas and sent it over to my Nephew in the States as I knew this book would make him (and his daddy)giggle. Since then I've bought several more copies - it always make the receiver laugh!

Babette Cole, the author, has written many books in a similar style, they are books which have a slightly wicked sense of fun. They all seem to be about the same kind of childish hilarity - farting, burping and general toilet humour. It may sound distasteful but they are written in such a funny way that even my mother-in-law saw the lighter side!

Dr Dog is about, well, a dog who is a doctor - no surprise there. He lives with his human family, the Gumboyles. The story starts while Dr Dog is away at a conference about Bone Marrow (genius...), in his absence the Gumboyles have all started to become ill and they send a message for him to come home immediately.

When he arrives home Dr Dog is faced with the two young boys coughing and scratching, one has been smoking and the other has caught nits. He explains why smoking is so damaging for our bodies and treats the nits till they have gone.

Baby Gumboyle has caught worms. This page has my favorite piece of Dr Dog advice "Don't scratch your bum and then suck your thumb".

Grandad Gumboyle has been eating lots of baked beans and now has terrible wind, so bad that he farts the roof off the house.

The story ends with Dr Dog feeling a little bit stressed having treated all these conditions, he prescribes himself a holiday.

Some of the descriptions above may seem a little unpleasant, but it does explain some of the most common childhood conditions making them seem "normal" and children do seem to find the way Babette Cole writes extremely funny.

The illustrations in the book are lovely, the book has also been made into a TV cartoon series which uses the same illustration style.

The book is paperback but with good quality thick paper and card cover.

It retails at £4.99

Summary: Very funny, silly humour, Love it.