How to Bake a Sausage Dog

Name: William Joseph
Price range: $

by Kirsten Reinhardt, illustrated by David Roberts
Translated by Siobhan Parkinson

Interest age: 9 to 11
Reading age: 9+

Published by Little Island, 2019

Adventure
Chapter books
Fantasy
Funny
Science fiction

About this book

Fennymore Teabreak doesn’t go to school. He lives with a bicycle, Monbijou, which thinks it’s a horse. Since Fennymore’s parents (zany inventors) disappeared, his days consist of eating dachshunds with his aunt and nursing tummy aches for days afterwards. But when his aunt passes away and Monbijou disappears, Fennymore is feeling hopeless.

Fizzy, a freckled girl who lives in a supermarket, befriends him and they resolve to find Monbijou and investigate a suspicious old man that has been creeping around. They find out he is a powerful man of weak will who became embroiled in a plot to alter the life and health of Fennymore’s parents many years ago.

As Fennymore gets closer to revealing the truth, Fizzy is kidnapped and the fate of his loved ones hang in the balance.

It’s no surprise that this book won the Oldenburger Prize for Children’s Books. Reinhardt has created an irresistible world of surrealism: quirky details, alluring mystery and wonderful characterisation make this a must-read. The story is playful but the ideas of loss and feeling different are delicately explored and curious minds can also reflect on threads of social justice and philosophy, which are woven throughout.

About the illustrator

David Roberts was born in Liverpool and studied a degree in fashion design at Manchester Metropolitan University. After university he worked as a milliner and began to get work as a fashion illustrator but always felt his true calling was in children's book illustration. After working as a shelf stacker, egg fryer, hair washer, film extra and coffee-maker David finally realised his dream of becoming a children's book illustrator when his first book Frankie Stein's Robot, written by Roy Apps, was published in 1998 and shortlisted for the Mother Goose Award for emerging illustrators.

Since then he has illustrated works by authors such as Philip Ardagh, Daren King, Julia Donaldson, Jacqueline Wilson, Tom Baker and Chris Priestley. He is also the creator of Dirty Bertie - a litle boy with bad habits.

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