Old fellow by Christopher Cheng and Liz Anelli

An old man and his equally old dog have a routine. They rise in the morning, do a few stretches then eat their breakfast, before going to the park. And here they meet all their old friends.

In lovely evocative text, Christopher Cheng reveals the two elderly companions, spending their days together with friends, marvelling at the beauty of the world near their home.

Equally the illustrations put the two in a place and time, a park where they are known and loved, where they feel comfortable and safe, a place where friends gather to talk and gossip, play with the ball, throw a ball for the active dogs, play games and just sit.

I adored the endpapers, bookending the day: the first showing the pair in the morning before they get out of bed, the last endpaper showing them in the evening, winding down their day. Readers will love looking at the detail on each page, seeing what the old fellow has collected over the years, ruminating on why it may be important to him, thinking of their own possessions and why they have been kept.

At the park they see a dog chasing its tail, a lost dog, a boy using his Dalmatian like a horse, a fountain from which they drink after their long walk, and another dog who presents the old fellow with a flower. They notice that the chickens are out agin, and see another older man wheeling his dog in a pram. They spy their neighbour Peta and sit with her to play chess. They walk around the park noticing the new flowers and landscaping, the butterflies, birds and immense colour. As they go home they are happy to find their way, unlike last time when they got lost.

Revealing many people’s lives as they grow older, Cheng contemplates the winding down of life, the quiet easing of a life well lived, the two content to meet friends in a garden. Both the man and his dog are relaxed and comfortable with their lives, and the book reveals the promise of relaxed ease in old age. Classroom ideas are available.

Themes: Old age, Dogs, Animals, Gardens, Friendship.

Fran Knight