Elise and the Second-Hand Dog
by Bjarne Reuter, illustrated by Kirsten Raagaard
Translated from Danish by Sian Mackie
Interest age: 7 to 9
Reading age: 7+
Published by Wacky Bee Books, 2018
About this book
Elise’s mother is away building a suspension bridge in the Amazon, and Elise is lonely. He takes a bit of persuading, but her father finally gives in to letting Elise buy a secondhand mongrel (who isn’t the cutest, and is rather smelly) to keep her company. When Elise informs the dog he will be called Prince Valiant the Great, he quickly tells her that his name is actually McAddudi – Duddi for short – and he’s from Tobermory, Scotland.
Initially frustrated with this (who would expect to get a second-hand dog with a Scottish accent in Copenhagen?), Elise and McAddudi soon grow to become best friends, and Elise’s wild imagination takes them on many adventures.
The characters in this book are a pure delight, complemented by Kirsten Raagaard’s illustrations. Elise is a sparky and clever protagonist, while McAduddi is comedy gold. Elise’s family, too, all coping with the absence of Elise’s mother, entertain with their hilarious traditions – like trying to scare each other on Halloween. Full of laughs and heart, this quirky and original book is one that readers won’t forget.
Elise and the Second-hand Dog was selected as an Honour Title in 2017 for BookTrust’s In Other Words project. It was originally published in Danish by Gyldendal.
Original Title: Elise og den brugte hund
About the author
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