Cobweb

Once again, this esteemed and popular author and illustrator pairing has produced an endearing animal story that will instantly appeal, delighting their many fans. Its inspiration is the astonishing true stories of the drovers, who would take farmer’s sheep and cattle to market in the big cities, often hundreds of miles away, always accompanied by a good reliable dog. Remarkably, these drovers would need to stay in the city for weeks, selling the sheep and cattle, and so the dogs would find their way home on their own, stopping at night in the same inns as on their outward journey, where the innkeeper would provide food for them which would have been prepaid by the drover. The dogs they used on the 250-mile path from west Wales to London were often Pembrokeshire corgis just like our narrator, Cobweb, who tells us the story of how he became a drover dog. Born on a farm and beloved by Bethan, who lives alone with her father, Tad, after her mother and brother were lost fishing, his happy life is interrupted when he is abducted by Tad’s jealous second wife and given to Drover Morgan. Gradually he realises he must accept his fate and recognises that Drover Morgan is a caring owner and in Goodlad, the old collie, he finds a true friend to teach him the skills he needs to become a proper drover’s dog. On his remarkable journey his story becomes entwined with yet another true story – that of the French Drummer Boy of Waterloo and eventually they both find a permanent home with Bethan. This is a story of canine courage and the true bonds which can be formed between humans and animals, but it also deals with the impact of war and the loss and sacrifice found on both sides. The landscape and historical setting are skilfully evoked in both words and pictures, and the accessibly straightforward language makes this a very satisfying read for newly confident readers and equally an engaging read-aloud to share.