The Detective Dog - by Julia Donaldson (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

A rollicking rhyming picture book from bestselling author Julia Donaldson about a dog who uses her amazing sense of smell to solve mysteries.

When Detective Dog Nell puts her nose to the task, there's no mystery she can't solve. Whether she's tracking the missing shoe of her human, Peter, or locating some lost honeycomb, all Nell has to do is sniff, sniff, sniff and she's hot on the trail.

Besides solving mysteries, there's something else Nell loves--listening to children read. Every Monday, Peter takes her to school where children tell her stories.

One day, Nell and Peter arrive to find that all the books are gone. Who could have taken them? And why? There's only one dog for the job, and Detective Dog Nell is ready to sniff out the thief!

Review Quotes

"Donaldson's pitch-perfect text effectively uses humorous twists and rich vocabulary as well as a fine sense of melodramatic pacing. Bold watercolor-and-pencil illustrations give all the characters distinct personalities and plant funny details to spot in the busy double-page spreads." --Kirkus Reviews on The Detective Dog

"Flamboyant colors, zany perspectives and a neatly circular tale lead, with satisfying inevitability, to a happy outcome for all but the thieves." --Washington Post on What the Ladybug Heard

"An excellent read-aloud or lap book, it's full of slapstick action, animal noises, and repeated phrases that invite participation. Donaldson's rhymed verse is both rhythmic and skillfully executed." --Publishers Weekly, starred review on What the Ladybug Heard

"The appealing and brightly colored collage illustrations, rhyming text, and assorted animal sounds make it a natural for individual or group readalouds." --Booklist on What the Ladybug Heard

"Low on menace and high on clever silliness, this highly readable rhyming tale will have young listeners participating in the delivery of these unexpected variations on animal sounds and examining the last scene." --Kirkus Reviews on What the Ladybug Heard

"The playful rhyming text flows without stumbling and offers the opportunity to demonstrate one's finest animal sounds. Monk's illustrations incorporate paint and collage to depict boldly caricatured participants in farmyard tableaux." --School Library Journal on What the Ladybug Heard

About the Author

Julia Donaldson is the bestselling author of many books for children, including The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, and The Giants and the Joneses. She lives in Scotland with her family.

Sara Ogilvie is the award-winning illustrator of a number of picture books, and an accomplished printmaker. While her work has been exhibited worldwide, England is her home.