Bork

About this book

Did you know that in English we think dogs say “woof”, but in French, dogs say “ouaf ouaf”, in German they say “wau, wau” and in Japanese they say “wan-wan”?

In this charming picture book, one dog maintains that the right way to woof is to say “bork”. Desperate to persuade the international cast of dogs that think their way is the right way, it’s an uphill task until a cat arrives, and all the dogs unite to bork at it.

Rhys Kitson’s book has a very simple premise which is executed incredibly well. As well as highlighting interesting different dog sounds from around the world, which little ones will love to imitate, the overall message is that there’s more that unites us than divides us. Even though children are quite little at 4 or 5 to understand how difference and unity work in the world, they can absolutely understand that it’s nice for all the dogs to work together.