'Dogger' is a classic with good reason - Shirley Hughes is a master illustrator and storyteller, and specialises in bringing children's emotions to the fore in her books. Her stories revolve around seemingly simple everyday occurences in the lives of her characters, but the intensity of the way her small characters experience the world around them makes the books ever so relatable for young children. I also have always loved the way she paints her characters' feelings on their faces - pain, terror, joy and laughter are all easy for young children to see interpreted, as are the wonderful expressions of weariness, tenderness, and harrassed tension writ large on the face of the parents in her books! I think this is what makes Shirley Hughes so beloved - both children and parents see themselves reflected in all her stories.

In 'Dogger' it is the kindness of Bella, Dave's big sister, which, in the end, saves the day. She uses her maturity and insight, which Dave lacks, to find a way of getting Dogger back for Dave - a lesson for older siblings everywhere that kindness, in the end, is what counts.