Reviews

Having a family pet can be a source of lessons for life, bringing both joy and responsibility. But in Danny’s case the eponymous Rover of the rhyming title is also a source of envy. When the boisterous dog does what dogs do – careering around the garden and the beach, messing about and scaring the neighbourhood cats – he still can do no wrong. He is even patted on the head! For young Danny this is the final straw. What can he do to gain some praise? He moves into Rover’s kennel and acts like him. He soon discovers, though, that his own doggy behaviour – digging up Mum’s garden plants, snapping at sister’s Siamese and working really hard at playing find-and-fetch with Dad – fails to achieve the same results. Only when Rover and Danny join forces in having a mud bath is the strained atmosphere relieved as the two ridiculous ‘mucky pups’ enjoy all the attention and laughter. As an added bonus the author himself comments on the need for everyone to feel happy and appreciated – and there is even a certificate at the end which anyone can fill in if they deserve a pat on the head! Five to seven-year-olds will really enjoy this story for its characters, storyline and word games. The comic sans text is brought to life with unobtrusive effects such as alliteration and repetition, with phonic patterning useful for learning to read, and there is plenty to talk and think about here. Parents and teachers will enjoy reading this book aloud as much as children will enjoy joining in: at the same time it should come with a health and safety warning as no doubt many will want to join in with Rover’s antics! Inevitably, in a Jac Jones creation the text is far from the whole story. Unexpected perspectives and angles abound, from the dust jacket to the detailed end papers, and the quirky drawings of expressive nearly-normal people and animals in bright primary and natural colours seem both familiar and larger than life. Every page of Move Over, Rover deserves to be looked at carefully and enjoyed. Let’s hope we learn more about Danny and his family life in future.
*M Lorna Herbert Egan @ www.gwales.com*