The Hospital Dog

Publisher: Macmillan

This is the charming story of Dot the dalmatian, a very special dog indeed. Instead of the normal visits to the park, Dot accompanies her lovely owner Rose to the hospital to soothe and entertain the children, babies, parents, doctors and nurses who are there. She even learns how to sign hello to Joe, a boy who is deaf.

But outside the hospital Joe nearly gets knocked over. Dot runs to the rescue and is knocked down herself. Now it’s Dot’s turn to go the vet with a broken leg, where she learns just how boring and frustrating getting better can be and how important her visits are!

This is a truly wonderful book. The story is told in rhyming couplets which are delicious to read aloud and share with children. The bright illustrations are full of life, warmth, expression and tiny details that make this a wonderful book to come back to again and again. There’s always something new to see! The illustrations are inclusive in terms of ethnicity and disability which make this a brilliant book for all to read.

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