Dog Squad: The Newshound

When Eva finds a stray puppy and takes him home, Mum says there’s definitely no room for him in the flat. Eva and her friends Simone and Ash run The Newshound, their own newspaper, and they decide to find out more about Wafer, as Eva’s named him. No one seems to have lost a grey whippet and he isn’t microchipped. The family is starting to fall in love with him, but the landlord won’t let them have pets. The Newshounds must find his owner in three days’ time!

This charming young chapter book has beautiful, energetic pencil drawings throughout. Readers will laugh at Wafer’s antics as he cavorts across pages and barks at the toaster. There are some nice parallels drawn between being a journalist and a dog – keep digging, be alert, trust your instincts – and an inclusive friendship (Ash the Newshound is non-binary). A very sweet start to a series with strong themes of doing the right thing and treating animals well.