''Dogger'' is a children's

picture book A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. With the narrative told primarily through text, they are distinct from comics, which do so primarily through sequential images. The images ...

written and illustrated by

Shirley Hughes Winifred Shirley Hughes (16 July 1927 – 25 February 2022) was an English author and illustrator. She wrote more than fifty books, which have sold more than 11.5 million copies, and illustrated more than two hundred. As of 2007, she lived i ...

, published by

The Bodley Head The Bodley Head is an English publishing house, founded in 1887 and existing as an independent entity until the 1970s. The name was used as an imprint of Random House Children's Books from 1987 to 2008. In April 2008, it was revived as an adul ...

in 1977.

Plot

It features a boy and his stuffed dog, who is lost, showing "the distress the loss of a toy causes a child". The boy's sister has an opportunity to earn Dogger back.

Publication history

Prentice-Hall published the first U.S. edition in 1978 under the title ''David and Dog''.

Reception

'Dogger' has received positive reviews. ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'' found that "The loss and retrieval of a favorite toy animal is agreeably handled" and "Pleasant, if unoriginal—as usual, Hughes' rumpled tots and general clutter make you feel instantly at home." while ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' called it "the perfect children's story - there is conflict then resolution." and BookTrust found it "heart-warming ... that will especially appeal to any youngsters who have a special favourite toy."

Zena Sutherland Zena Sutherland (1915 – June 12, 2002) was an American reviewer of children's literature. She is best known for her contributions to the ''Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books'' and as the author of the library science textbook ''Childr ...

, writing in ''The Best in Children's Books.'' found "A touching story comes from England, but it has qualities that should make it universally appealing" and concluded "Familiar concepts, a plot nicely gauged for small children's interest and comprehension, and a credible happy ending should satisfy listeners, while the beautifully detailed paintings ... should engage both readers-aloud and their audiences." The librarians recommend the book for "young readers" and for ages 4+.

Awards

Hughes won the 1977

Kate Greenaway Medal The Kate Greenaway Medal is a British literary award that annually recognises "distinguished illustration in a book for children". It is conferred upon the illustrator by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) ...

from the

Library Association The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, since 2017 branded CILIP: The library and information association (pronounced ), is a professional body for librarians, information specialists and knowledge management, knowle ...

, recognising the year's best children's book illustration by a

British subject The term "British subject" has several different meanings depending on the time period. Before 1949, it referred to almost all subjects of the British Empire (including the United Kingdom, Dominions, and colonies, but excluding protectorates ...

. For the 50th anniversary of the Medal (1955–2005), a panel of experts named ''Dogger'' one of the top ten winning works, which composed the ballot for a public election of the nation's favourite. ''Dogger'' won the public vote and thus it was named the all-time "Greenaway of Greenaways" on 21 June 2007. (The public voted on the panel's shortlist of ten, selected from the 53 winning works 1955 to 2005. Hughes and ''Dogger'' polled 26% of the vote to 25% for its successor, the 1978 medalist

Janet Ahlberg Janet Ahlberg (21 October 1944 – 15 November 1994; née Hall) and Allan Ahlberg (born 5 June 1938) were a British married couple who created many children's books, including picture books that regularly appear at the top of "most popular" lis ...

and ''Each Peach Pear Plum''.)

References

;Citations * Neumark, Victoria. "Gems for the ears." ''Times Educational Supplement'' (04 Sep. 1998): VI. * "Pullman and Hughes all-time winners." ''Library & Information Update'' 6.7/8 (July 2007): 2-2.

External links

* —immediately, first US edition {{DEFAULTSORT:Dogger (Book) British children's books British picture books Kate Greenaway Medal winning works Fictional dolls and dummies The Bodley Head books 1977 children's books Books about dogs