Author: Julia Donaldson

Illustrated by: Sara Ogilvie

This book brought us smile and has brighten up our days, and it really doesn’t matter whether you are a dog lover or not. We have always been a big fan of Julia Donaldson’s rhyming and whimsical stories. This is another great addition that we really enjoyed reading: – heart-moving, bitter sweet, and creates a chance for interesting discussions with kids.

The story is about a Dalmatian named Dot and her owner Rose, and focuses on their visits to the hospital routinely. We saw children in “Wallaby Ward”, “most of them happy but some of them bored.” We saw some children being shy, some howled, some being cross, and a teenager scowled. Four-year-old little AJ wants to know why the variety of negative emotions, and we got to talk about some of the reasons why the kids needed to stay in hospital: perhaps they were in pain and not feeling too well? Maybe they missed going outdoor?

We love those lovely scenes where Dot the Hospital Dog cheered up the kid one by one. Just a pat, a stroke, a cuddle. Each of the children felt much better, calmer, and happier.

And then came a day, where Dot was being knocked down by a car in an accident (when he was trying to save a kid). When Dot rested at home with her leg in plaster, the hospitals kids came to visit. It was their turn to cheer up Dot who has brought them so much joy in the past.

This is a really nice story with lively illustrations. The story rhymes beautifully, and the story is engaging and makes us smile.

P/s: this is a library copy