Book Review: Dog Loves Books
There is something quite magical about a hardback book, a mystique that only grows, in my humble opinion, when the book in question is a children’s book.
So when Random House sent us Dog Loves Books for review, in that form, they were off to a great start.
It may be because personally it takes me a fair bit of convincing to shell out the extra expense for a hardback variety, and therefore they have additional novelty and kudus factor in our home, or it might just be because they feel better in your hands.
But whatever it is, there is definitely something ‘more’ about them.
Louise Yates, the author and illustrator of this particular book is obviously a very talented lady. She began drawing pictures to go with stories she would write at school, and it was there where she told her classmates that she was going to be a children’s book illustrator.
She wasn’t wrong, and after studying English at Oxford University she can actually also add ‘author’ to her list of achievements.
Dog Loves Books is beautifully illustrated by Yates, primarily using water colours. Illustrations are laid out in a variety of formats, with text wrapped around them in different ways to give the story great range and to spoil the eyes passed its beautiful drawings.
The story itself is of a dog, so enthused by books, that he sets about setting up his own bookstore.
It is not all plain sailing, but the dog does continue to love his books and manage to fill his shop with all sorts of things, if not willing buyers.
This is romantic and idyllic reverse of the current trend of books being sold via relatively faceless mediums and without any personal interaction.
And I like it.
Even if I must say, my five year-old son has not been as enamoured. He has certainly not turned his nose up, but it is yet to be placed among his favourites on his Tidy Books bookcase, but that may be down to my reluctance to let go of it.
It is definitely aimed at children of my boy’s age group. And it is a book that can be read to non-readers, but also used by those children with a firm grasp of reading, but yet to move onto children’s novels.
As mentioned Dog Loves Books is available in a hardback form, but is also available in a more frugally minded paperback version.
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We’re lucky in the country that kids’ books are so often available in both formats – in the Netherlands (where my husband comes from) kids’ picture books are less frequently available in paperback, and typically cost around 15 euros for a new one… yikes.
But I like hardbacks – I find them easy to hold when reading to little ones in bed – the pages don’t flop over and if you’ve only got one had free the books are much easier to manage!
Hardbacks are better, but like you say, the price tag can be a little off putting. Thanks for sharing that about Holland.