Rosie the dog lives with George. But although she
is taken out frequently, shares discussions with George about cloud formations
whose dog shapes make her bark, Rosie feels lonely and would love to have a
friend.
At the Dog Park, Rosie sees lots of dogs playing
about, and meets the very large Maurice, and the small, excitable and energetic
Fifi.
But how does one go about making friends? Rosie just doesn’t know.
A series of serious events become the path to
friendship for the three very different dogs.
Friendships and how they are created are the main theme in this delightful story. Rosie’s attempt to make friends
shows young readers that building friendships can be a slow process that needs
patience and persistence. For friends come in different shapes and sizes, and
each person or dog, has something of value to offer to a new relationship.
Many children have the same difficulties as the
dogs depicted here, especially shy ones trying to fit in with more lively and
confident others. This is the perfect book to initiate discussion between
parent and child, teacher and class, on an important and concerning issue.
This is another outstanding title by the much-loved
Kate DiCamillo, whose text is minimal and very effective, and who in the
simplest way, can create a valuable
piece of work full of meaning.
The layout of the illustrations is presented in
different sized framed images, some with speech bubbles, and others with the
text against the background. There are many close-ups of Rosie, the star of the
story, and full page images of Rosie and Maurice to indicate the size
difference. Then there is little Fifi flying through the air in joyous abandon
and a loud Yip! Yip! Yip!
Harry Bliss’ incredibly revealing colour
illustrations have made this book a happy journey of discovery and learning. I
believe that’s how children will see Rosie’s story. The stunning cover shows a
concerned Rosie in the centre, with a cluster of other images of Rosie with
George and of the other dogs in frames.
Title:
Good Rosie
Author:
Kate DiCamillo
Illustrator:
Harry Bliss
Publisher:
Walker Books, $24.99
Publication
Date: October 2018
Format:
Hardcover
ISBN: 9781406383577
For
ages: 4+
For a fascinating glimpse of the story behind the making of this story - and snapshots of both Harry and Kate's beloved pooches, read our exclusive KBR interview with them, here.
