Robot Dog

There is little I can say to recommend Oliver’s first book as both author and illustrator. The theme of a toy rejected by the factory because he is not perfect is familiar and the images that Oliver uses to introduce the factory and Scrap, his reject robot dog, bring nothing new to it. Although Oliver works hard at devising interesting shapes for the community of junk yard dogs that Scrap joins, he doesn’t succeed in giving them the personality they need to engage the reader. The way in which the dogs find an owner for themselves is a good idea; but much more could have been made of it. The story is flat and the illustrations fail to bring drama, detail or colour. CB