Cheer up, pup (Some Dogs Do - Jez Alborough)

Member Name: MagdaDH

Product:	Some Dogs Do - Jez Alborough
Date:	23/11/05 (422 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great pictures, good rhyme, worthy message, fantastic fun

Disadvantages: truly none

Despite him having quite a reputation in the world of pre-schoolers' picture books I have never been quite a fan of Jez Alborough. I am also bit ambivalent about books that use animal characters in human roles. And despite both these reservations I have to say that 'Some Dogs Do' is simply wonderful.

It's the best feel-good book I have encountered for ages, including the grown-up ones. It's hard to precisely say why, but somehow, the combination of the story, the rhyme and the illustrations is just spot on.

Sid is a dog - a pup really, probably equivalent to a 5-6 year old and he's drawn (or rather painted) in an enchanting but not overtly sweet manner, he's a fairly archetypal dog actually, with round tummy, floppy ears and shortish legs, a white coat with big brown patches. One day Sid is walking to school - walking through lovely, rolling countryside, dotted with farmhouses and trees, and he feels sooooo happy that he 'falls up towards the sky' to fly 'in the land of sun and moon like a doggy shaped balloon'.

This elated feeling is substantially dampened when nobody at school - including the teacher - believes him. 'All dogs walk and jump and run, but dogs don't fly - it can't be done'. On return home Sid is not himself, but as he's sitting on a tree stump staring forlornly at the sky his Dad tells him a secret. I won't tell you what it is but it's enough to note that last few pages are filled with gloriously happy, flying dog family.

The illustrations are wonderful: bold brushstrokes and clean colours, chunky dogs with shiny fur and floppy ears and most of all perfectly rendered expressions of emotional states: the flying Sid and family simply ooze elated happiness. Sad Sid is *really* sad which shows both in his expression and posture. His dad approaching worried Sid is a picture of loving parental concern.

The rhyme is simple, bouncy and good for reading aloud with enough repetition to emphasise but not too much as to bore.

The message or moral if you wish is of course, of believing in yourself and your own experience against the opinion of authority (the teacher) and the peer group. The family is warm and caring, and of course, flying is an age old allegory for joyful freedom of personal expression (by the way I think that those sad Freudians and the like who see dream of flying as symbolic of sex have either terribly over inflated view of sex or never had a proper flying dream).

Apart from reinforcing self-belief, the book would provide an excellent basis for talking to your child about different feelings and reasons for them as the drawn characters have such clear facial and bodily expressions.

All in all, a fantastic picture book, with good rhyme, great illustrations and a huge feel-good factor. I would say it's suitable from about 2 years old, but a 3 to 5 year olds would appreciate it most.

Walker Books 2003
38 large pages
About 7 minutes reading time
£5.99 cover price, available for less than a fiver at tesco and Amazon.

Summary: Fantastic picture book, with good rhyme, great illustrations and a huge feel-good factor