- written from the perspective of dogs, this page-turner is full of humor, adventure and mystery
- after Dalmatian puppies are stolen, dogs all over England work together to find them
- the antagonist is an evil woman named Cruella de Vil who “worships furs”
- convo: a man thinks he sees ghosts (he doesn’t)
- language: x1 golly
Type: chapter book
Ages: 7-12
Author: Dodie Smith
Wonderful writing throughout this book will easily make it a favorite for your kiddos. The author gives the dogs much intelligence and they speak of the humans as their pets. 🙂 It’s a must-read for dog lovers. Other breeds part of the story include:
- spaniel
- collie
- great dane
- red setter
- staffordshire terrier
There’s also a very helpful cat along the way.
Cruella’s country home is called “Hell Hall” and she’s just an extremely unlikeable character. Her evil ideas (like drowning puppies) are mentioned but the author masterfully keeps things light. I think the intensity level is quite safe for most 7-year-olds and up.
Christmas becomes a theme later in the tale, so I’ll include it on my Christmas lists. I wholeheartedly recommend this delightful book!