Lionel And
Me celebrates
kindness, friendship and caring through the heartwarming relationship between
two real-life dogs – Maverick the golden retriever and Lionel the dachshund.
When Lionel arrives, Maverick is unimpressed.
Is there
enough love to go round for the two of them?
Told from
Maverick’s point of view, his picture-perfect dog’s life is at first, the
epitome of heaven: a family to adore, children to romp and play with, meals at
all times of the day and a selection of warm beds to choose from. Everything is
going swimmingly for Maverick.
Until
Lionel arrives.
Lionel the sausage
dog is tiny, cute and needy. Lionel’s tiny little legs mean that Maverick’s
exciting and adventurous walks become slow, short and boring. Lionel’s tiny
little howls mean that he gets all the attention. And his tiny little food bowl
contains much more interesting food than Maverick’s – and yet his tiny little
dog deposits that occur inside, manage to stink the whole house out.
Poor
Maverick. What is a good dog to do?
This
gorgeous book packs a very big punch. Tracie Grimwood’s delightfully engaging
and simply beautiful illustrations, bring the story to life in a multitude of
clever ways. There’s a dance that happens between words and illustrations, encouraging
the reader to pore over both and sit with the wonderful detail. The gradual usurping
of Maverick happens quietly in some places and very obviously in others. Throughout,
Maverick’s patience and frustration are tested to their limits. He is a joy to
watch as the story unfolds.
At the
book’s launch, much-loved author Corrine Fenton shared that for her, the most
important theme of this book is caring - for animals, and for each other. This
idea is brought to life with an incredibly entertaining and reassuring
narrative. The sense of being overlooked for someone more shiny and interesting
is completely relatable, and such an important subject for small
children to encounter in story form.
This book is an absolute gem.
Title: Lionel And MeIllustrator: Tracie Grimwood
Publisher: New Frontier $26.99
Publication Date: June 2022
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781922326607
For ages: 3 - 6
Type: Picture Book
