Books For Keeps
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Articles
  • Past Issues
  • Latest Issue
  • Authors and Artists
  • Latest News
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
November 1, 2018/in Fiction 8-10 Junior/Middle /by Ellie
BfK Rating:
BfK 233 November 2018
Reviewer: Nicholas Tucker
ISBN: 978-0571334094
Price: £14.99
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Genre: Fiction
Age Range: 8-10 Junior/Middle
Length: 128pp
Buy the Book

Old Toffer’s Book of Consequential Dogs

Author: Christopher ReidIllustrator: Elliot Elam

Originally planned by T S Eliot but never actually started, this present title was to be the companion volume to his Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, first published in 1939. This entirely new light verse collection has appeared under Eliot’s original title, taken from his occasional chauffeur who once explained to the poet that his own non-pedigree pet was ‘not what you’d call a consequential dog.’ Christopher Reid, the replacement poet, was also Poetry Editor at Faber for eight years, and while not in the same league as his great forebear is still a fiendishly good and creative rhymester. Accompanying illustrations by Elliot Elam are also a joy, using only two colours and never at a loss for bang on amusing detail.

So here is a book for all ages. Children may not pick up references to Caruso or the avant-garde, but they will always have a clear notion of where each particular poem is going. The twenty-two on offer, some of them stretching over three pages, explore the inhabitants of a varied canine world from a sleepy Dog Detective to a fearfully pampered but totally frustrated lap dog. The whole book is beautifully produced and has a pleasantly old-fashioned look to it. And while Reid’s poems use orthodox rhyming schemes and regular metres, his wit is topical and never in the least predictable. This is a book to possess and enjoy.

Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share by Mail
http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bfklogo.png 0 0 Ellie http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bfklogo.png Ellie2018-11-01 12:19:112021-03-25 12:21:27Old Toffer’s Book of Consequential Dogs

Search for a specific review

Author Search

Search







Generic filters




Filter by Member Types


Book Author

Download BfK Issue Bfk 272 May 2025
Skip to an Issue:

About Us

Launched in 1980, we’ve reviewed hundreds of new children’s books each year and published articles on every aspect of writing for children.

Read More

Follow Us

Latest News

‘Exceptionally talented illustrators’ Shortlist announced for the 2025 Klaus Flugge Prize

May 15, 2025

Next stop Shakespeare’s Globe – finalists of Poetry By Heart competition 2025 announced

May 8, 2025

School Library Association announces Information Book Award longlist and new nationwide Book Club

May 7, 2025

Contact Us

Books for Keeps,
30 Winton Avenue,
London,
N11 2AT

Telephone: 0780 789 3369

ISSN: 0143-909X (this is our International Standard Serial Number).

© Copyright 2025 - Books For Keeps | Proudly Built by Lemongrass Media - Web Design Buckinghamshire
The Afterwards Blazing a Trail
Scroll to top