A Pack of Your Own

The hero of this remarkable picture book is a very lonely dog (probably dachshund). He or she knows ‘they’ are very lonely, and doesn’t know what to do about it. They are tidy, meticulous, live in an old house on their own, use a toilet, make coffee, collect lovely things and altogether live a far different life from the other dogs they see in the park. They try their best to be like the others, offering to play ball games, and having to watch while the others pee on a tree and growl at them when they happily stroke a cat. They are very sad and feel they will never have ‘A pack of their own’. One day, there is a knock on the door, and in pops a poodle, a friendly sort, who has noticed they walk on two legs, and can do the same. It proceeds to learn about everything in their life, sees the loo in action, enjoys the coffee, turns everything upside down, but also is genuinely friendly and interested in a different way of life. They are soon close friends, and dachshund have discovered that different people (and dogs) can like each other in spite of differences. The use of ‘they’ is interesting and emphasises that some people are gender neutral like this sophisticated dog, and that they can experience friendship with many different types of people. The illustrations are remarkable and full of tender details of their home. Mostly black and white and grey, the only colour is the dog collars, all of which are a dark red and ‘they’ is brown throughout. Wonderfully understanding about a problem so many people are now admitting to and needing support for, and children will enjoy learning about others who are different from themselves, but no less interesting because of this. Unique in its quality and presentation.