Large and hairy pets
WHAT DO you do if you are entrusted with a clan of yetis whose Tibetan habitat is about to be destroyed? Hide them in a bridal suite, then transfer them to a cold-meats van and drive them to England, of course. This task faces the children in The Abominables, by the late Eva Ibbotson (Scholastic, £10.99). Althoughforbiddingly large and hairy, the yetis are so peaceable that they even a pologise t o their food before they eat it. Their hi g h morals lead t hem to intervene in others’ lives when they see an injustice, with zany results. The yetis are child-like and stubborn, philosophical yet bumbling — as if Dickens had created a family of Paddington Bears and cast them in a Buddhist fable. Ages seven to 11.
Another quirky pet portrait is at the centre of The Great Dog Disaster, by Katie Davies (Simon and Schuster, £5.99). Beatrice the hound is foisted upon Suzanne by a deceased great aunt. Bulky and r e l uct a nt t o walk, Beatrice smells of dead vole at one end and stagnant ponds at the other. It is up t o S u z a n n e and her friend Anna to rehabilitate her. It’s doggie boot camp — or a one-way ticket to the vet. Anna designs canine nappies and fights off duck attacks with dogged good humour. Ages seven to nine.
Poppy the Pirate Dog is younger and leaner than Beatrice but she, too, takes a while to settle down in Liz Kessler’s shortchapterbookforbeginnerreaders (Orion, £4.99). After acquiring a skulland-crossbones scarf, Dalmatian Poppy tries a different boat every day, until she spots a winner.
Also i n the series is Francesa Simon’s Mr P’s Naughty Book (Orion, £4.99), in which creepy Mr P hands out ridiculous forfeits. Simon fans would be better off investing in the all-new Horrid Henry’s Monster Movie, featuring Henry’s own Olympics with speed-eating sweets, TV-watching and crisp-induced burping. Ages five to 11.
Enid Blyton meets Downton Abbey in The Witchtree Journals: Emily’s Story by Diane Greene (Autumn Leaves, £7.99). Emily falls inside her notebook and travels through time, meeting her ancestors. The street waifs’ mockney is irritating but the underlying story is well-imagined. Ages nine to 13.