Happy Dog, Sad Dog

Author-illustrator Sam Lloyd

Interest age: 2 to 4
Reading age: 5+

Published by Little Tiger, 2026

  • Board books

About this book

Meet a cast of cute dogs in this board book that focuses on opposite words for very young readers. There is a big dog and a little dog, a happy dog and a sad dog, a hot dog and a cold dog, and even a hairy dog and a bald dog!

This book uses bright, high-contrast images and a simple design to make it accessible for toddlers. The descriptive language will help to build age-appropriate vocabulary that matches up clearly with the pictures. The repetition and predictability of the text will also help the youngest readers to build confidence as they join in on hearing the book again.

The end of this lovely board book features tips from BookTrust on reading with your child. It’s a great book to introduce early language in a fun and memorable way.  

About the author

Sam Lloyd's books have won many awards including the BookTrust Pre-School Award 2006, the V&A Illustration Award, the Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2009, the Richard & Judy Best Children's Book 2006 and the Sheffield Baby Book Award 2009.

Sam loves going to music festivals with her monster mate puppets ..and has done children's events with Templar at Glastonbury and Camp Bestival. She has spent lots of time travelling with her backpack and sketchbook...she has explored many parts of the world, always scribbling book ideas as she goes!

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