We love you Magoo by Briony Stewart
Puffin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760896904.
(Age: 3+) Recommended. In short rhyming phrases, the story of Magoo,
the family dog, unfolds as they try to restrict his behaviour,
letting him know exactly what is his to eat, drink and play with in
the house. He is testing them, seeing just how far he can go, while
they are trying to restrict his behaviour, letting him know what he
can and cannot do in the house. But training a dog has its
difficulties, especially such a cute dog as Magoo with his angelic
ears and large pleading eyes. At breakfast time he is sure the eggs
on a plate on the table are for him, but he is shown the less
attractive bowl on the floor; getting into the house has its
problems as he scratches on the door, only to be shown a dog flap in
the door just for him; while having a drink does not mean leaning
into the toilet bowl, getting the blue all over the floor, instead
he is to use the water bowl on the floor. Each set of four pages
shows the dog doing something he is not to do, while over the page
offering the behaviour that is acceptable.
It is a wonderfully funny way to show readers the sort of behaviour
acceptable for a dog to display in a house, teaching them the
rudiments of training an animal. Humour abounds as the dog leaps its
way through the house, begging at the table, scratching at the door,
rummaging through the pot plants, sitting in the car and drinking
from the toilet bowl. Children will laugh with recognition at the
behaviours shown by the dog, and offer stories of what their dog
does that is naughty. Magoo's training is expressed in rhyming
lines, making this a wonderful read aloud, asking children to
predict the rhyming words, and when the book is read again, as it
will be, they will learn some of the lines to join in. The
expressions on the dog's face are wonderfully apt, showing him
pleased, contrite, saddened, exuberant and hang dog, while the last
page is full of love, showing the best way to discipline an animal
is with kindness (and food).
Themes: Dogs, Animals, Training, Behaviour, Humour.
Fran Knight