Mr Dog and the Rabbit Habit (Mr Dog)

Mr Dog is a well mannered yet scruffy, travelling pooch. Preferring life on the open road, he travels from town to town exploring the countryside, making friends. At the beginning of this tale he befriends playful mother rabbit. But when she is lured into a trap by the smell of fresh carrots, Mr Dog feels duty bound to help her abandoned family. Upon finding mother rabbit's young brood, he discovers an interloper, a large angora rabbit affectionately named 'socks', who has also been abandoned. Good hearted Mr Dog takes all of the family in his care, promising to reunite them with their mother. However, this is easier said then done when there are huge fences, water scarecrows, hunting dogs and birds of prey standing in your way. Luckily, Socks is around to help and together the little band are able to defeat even the most insurmountable of obstacles. Once Mr Dog realises that the rabbit warren is next to an archeological dig, he understands why the humans have gone to such extraordinary lengths to keep the rabbits at bay. A fortuitous find buried deep on the dig site might be just what Mr Dog needs to secure the safety and wellbeing of all of the rabbits in his charge. He may be a little rough around the edges but brave and clever minded Mr Dog is just the kind of friend you need when things go bad and you need a helping hand. This new young fiction series, by TV presenter Ben Fogle, is packed full of real life animal experiences and fascinating animal facts. Not like your typical animal adventure stories, this book leaves the reader feeling as though they have stepped into the habit of an animal in danger in the wild, and helps them to explore what that might look and feel like. Written with the aid of children's author Steve Cole, with fabulous black and white illustrations, full of character, by Nikolas Ilis, this is a tale that will be loved by young readers. 144 pages / Ages 7+ / Reviewed by Emily Beale, librarian

Suggested Reading Age 7+

Mr Dog is a friendly stray dog with a big heart and sense of adventure who also loves the wild rabbits living in the field. When Mother Rabbit gets taken by a muddy man, he knows he has to rescue her for the sake of her children. Told from the point of view of the dog, this is fun adventure with a great plot. Early readers will love the story and the animal adventure will appeal to both boys and girls. This is a great story for newly independent readers as well as a fun read aloud book. Many of the chapters end in a cliffhanger and this book would be a lot of fun to share with a KS1/ Year3 class or group. The language is interesting with some excellent vocabulary to stretch and challenge. A super fun read. Adventurous animals are always a winner and this dog has bags of personality. The sequel is out soon I believe as well for even more adventures! 144 pages / Ages 7+ / Reviewed by Bryony Davies, teacher.

Suggested Reading Age 7+