Good Dog, Paw!

Recent Royal College of Art graduate Chinlun Lee's first book for Walker, The Very Kind Rich Lady and her One Hundred Dogs (2001) was a fabulously raw and chaotic affair with a delightfully eccentric vision. As is often the case, some of that art school exuberance has been tamed in this more sober follow-up, with its more self-conscious approach to structure and design. The doggy theme continues, and this time the story is related by Paw, whose owner April is a veterinary surgeon. Paw describes the daily routine of eating, exercise and health checks in a way that will inform and delight all young dog owners. Lee's cover design is a joy, with its delicate, almost Parisian atmosphere, and hand-rendered titling. She invests her canines with great character. The interior of the book is not enhanced by the inexplicable and rather intrusive coloured bands that border some of the pages.