Dog on a Digger

When a digger obsessed dog befriends a scrappy little pup, life on a busy quayside, gets even more exciting. For the pup gets stranded in the steep, concrete canal and it is only his plaintive yapping (depicted by wiggly yellow lines) that saves him. Summoning his master, the older dog employs his favourite digger to rescue his friend. He sits in the bucket while his owner makes the digger’s arm reach over the railings down into the canal. The clever dog is then able to grasp the pup and they ride back in the bucket to safety. A heartwarming story of friendship, loyalty and courage.

How refreshing to see a book with limited colours, especially when it’s a wordless picture book. Lack of colour helps to focus on what’s important and creates an intimacy because of the deep connection the viewer feels. It not only gives impact, but allows a complex scene to unfold without becoming bogged down with multi-coloured distractions. Textures, soft and graphite, give the resonance and grounding a story like this, replete with pathos and emotion, requires. The use of small amounts of yellow in the pencil textures draws attention to the salient point and adds drama. Words are unnecessary, for while the story unfolds gently there is great noise, power and strength in the heavy digger and the determination of the little dog to rescue his friend.

A book sure to become a favourite with animal (and digger) lovers.