The hospital dog: An inspiring story of kindness and bravery. Image: Sara Ogilvie.
Book Review: Julia Donaldson weaves her magic with ‘The Hospital Dog’
The Julia Donaldson and Sara Ogilvie duo has done it again! ‘The Hospital Dog’ is another instalment of a clever and quirky canine story dressed in rhyming verse and colourful illustrations.
The hospital dog: An inspiring story of kindness and bravery. Image: Sara Ogilvie.
From the creators of the award-winning children’s book The Detective Dog comes another literary giant prompting young hearts to a life of compassion, kindness and bravery.
The Hospital Dog tells the touching story of Dot, a dalmation with a big heart. It focuses on the significant role hospital dogs play in the life of child patients and the bond of love that connects humans and animals.
The Times has called it: “The literary equivalent of a giant welcome home wag”.
‘The Hospital Dog’: Life’s adversities managed
Despite an underlying sad storyline revolving around sick children in hospital and a beloved pet sustaining an injury, the story has been narrated and illustrated with an optimistic tone. The theme of life’s adversities is managed in a sensitive way on the level of young children.
Catchy rhyming verse and vibrant illustrations
The emotive rhyming verse is a word paradise for the logophile and will nurture a keenness for carefully selected words among developing readers.
Bright, colourful and inclusive illustrations by the talented Sara Ogilvie adds to the charm of The Hospital Dog. Each illustration captures the storyline accurately and much effort has been invested in the facial expressions of characters.
Loved this book? Don’t miss out on ‘The Detective Dog’
If it is the first time you are introduced to Julia Donaldson’s children books, you may be interested in some of her other titles. The Detective Dog also narrates the big-hearted story about the ties that bind humans with their fur friends.
About the author of ‘The Hospital Dog’
Julia Donaldson lives in Glasglow and although she is well known for her picture books, she also writes longer novels, plays and songs. Her bestselling titles include The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child.
The Hospital Dog is published by Macmillan Children’s Books and available at Exclusive Books and other leading bookstores.
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