Looking for Rex by Jan Ormerod
Ill. by Carol Thompson. Little Hare, 2012. ISBN 1921541482.
(Ages 5+) Highly recommended. Picture book. Animals. An absolutely
delightful story of getting a pet for Grandpa, this tale will trip
the hearts of those who read it and take in the glorious
illustrations. Grandpa's wife has died and the family is worried
that he is lonely, so the children decide that a dog would be a good
companion. The first few pages show him sitting alone in his house,
filling his time with TV, gardening, looking at the birds and just
sitting. The illustrations fill the pages with bright cheery
pictures of his family and the lonely old man sitting, lying or
walking by himself.
He initially rejects the idea, but as time goes on the idea of Rex
looms large, as he sees many dogs in his neighbourhood, in the
street, when he is out walking. All sorts of dogs are looked at and
rejected by both Grandpa and the family, and a plethora of animals
skip and jump across the pages in this endearing book.
He goes away to his caravan for the weekend, thinking about how
dangerous a dog may be for a frail old man, and wondering what would
happen to it when he becomes too old to care for it. In deciding
that Rex is not for him, he cycles to his family's house to find
that they have solved all of his questions and concerns.
A wonderful story of love and family, of loss and companionship, of
the place of animals in one's life, of loneliness and grief, this
will be read over and over again by young readers, parents and
teachers to gain a wider understanding of youth and age, and just to
appreciate a good story well told and beautifully illustrated.
Fran Knight