My great lost dog adventure by Marcia Williams

Walker, 2010. ISBN 9781406319118.
(Ages 6+) Recommended. Iggy Wilder loves dogs and believes that he has doggy powers as well as boy powers. He is devastated when his Grandpa dies and Grandpa's dog Fred is sent away, especially as he promised to look after him. He sets out on a quest to find Fred, helped with his friend Daisy. His parents aren't impressed with his doggy powers, although Iggy believes that 'A boy with canine powers is always one paw ahead of his parents.'
This is not your usual dog story. Marcia Williams has a distinctive style, a combination of comic book illustrations and a great story line. I was engrossed by the idea of a boy who acts out like a dog and had a smile on my face with the antics that Iggy got up to trying to find Fred. The chaos that Iggy brings to his is very funny, and I felt I knew the characters of Mum, Dad, Grandma and his sister just from Williams' clever drawings.
Dog lovers will find it a mine of information as many of the pages have a border around them with facts about different breeds, the games dogs play and their characteristics, all illustrated with funny cartoons and quirky sayings. There is even a story about Lobo the wolf.
This is not a book to read aloud, as it is complex and crowded with ideas and little drawings. Instead, it is for the child who loves to investigate details, likes sly humour and wants a heart-warming story.
Pat Pledger