Dogger - Shirley Hughes

Dogger by Shirley Hughes.

This book is written for children by Shirley Hughes published in 1977.
Shirley Hughes has written quite a lot of other books several in the Alfie series and Helpers, Sally secret, Moving Molly and others I cannot remember the tittles of.

Dogger is suitable for children aged between about 3 to seven. It is a book recommended on the national curriculum.
At the age of three it is good to read to your child and at 7 your child will enjoy reading this book on their own.

Shirley Hughes has illustrated this book, her illustrations are good. The pictures have not dated the children are wearing clothes similar to ones they might wear today.

The story is as you might guess about a dog this dog is a stuffed toy. The first picture in the book shows Dogger a lovely golden brown soft looking toy.

Dave owns this soft toy dog; Dogger is quite old and worn, well loved.
The story tells us how Dave takes Dogger everywhere. Sometimes mum washes him as he gets so dirty.
Dave has a brother and a sister they like different toys but Dave only likes Dogger and takes him to bed.

One day Dave took Dogger with him when he and his mum and the baby brother went to collect his sister from school. The school playground was been set up for the summer fair and Dave showed Dogger the men putting up the coloured flags. It is summer and there is an ice cream van outside school the children get treated to one and then they all go home.

Its bed time and Dave wants Dogger, where is he ?
“ Mum looked under the bed”
“She looked behind the cupbourd”
She searched the kitchen “

When dad came home he searched for Dogger too, but Dogger was quite lost.

Dave was very unhappy and could not sleep well even tough his sister Bella gave him one of her teddies.
The next day was the school fweteThe double page illustrations show a typical school fete with cake stall, raffle, and flower stall, lucky dip.

“There was a fancy dress parade” a picture showing children in fancy dress, a fairy, an Indian, a pirate, a clown, a Dalek.

Dave was still sad he was missing Dogger, his sister Bella won the three-legged race with her friend, Dave did no feel like racing.
Then Bella won the raffle for a big teddy, “Dave didn’t like that teddy at all”
Dave feeling fed up wandered to look at the stalls on his own and there at the very back of the stall behind a lot of other toys was ……-………………… Dogger.
Dogger had a label for 5p on him.

Desperately Dave tried to explain to the toy stall lady but she was not listening. Sadly Dave only had 3p in his pocket. He raced of and found his big sister and she went with him to the toy stall. Sadly Dogger had been sold to a little girl. They saw her with Dogger . Dave was crying his sister Bella tried to buy the dog back but the girl said NO, and then she saw Bella’s big teddy and Bella swapped the big teddy for Dogger. Dave had a big smile on his face. The last Page we see Dave and Bella going to bed Dave happy with his dog Dogger.

Wasn’t Dave lucky to have a sister to help him get his dog back has your child got a favourite toy? I am sure they will love this story.
A lot of children will relate to this story about a loved toy.

My daughter had a stuffed toy panda that went everywhere with her one day after shopping he was lost fortunately we lived in a small town and when I revisited the shops the next day we found “Adnap” in the post office sitting at a counter window, what a relief we all had had a sleepless night.
The Panda toy is still around after 27 yrs in fact my grandson owns him now.