Duncan Ball is the author of many books of children’s fiction, including the multi-award-winning Selby and Emily Eyefinger series, various picture books, five novels, a book of plays and a collection of funny poetry, My Sister Has a Big Black Beard. Duncan lives in Sydney.
Gr 3-5‘The talking dog returns. Most of his exploits revolve around not letting anyone know that he can speak, lest someone take advantage of him. There are some close calls, but Selby always triumphs and his secret remains safe. The canine is likable enough, but the other characters serve mainly as filler and devices to move the story along. After a few chapters, the endings become predictable‘readers know that Selby won't be found out. The suspense (and fun) comes in seeing how the outcome is reached. While the stories are somewhat bland, there is quite a bit of humor that kids will appreciate, and they're sure to find the dog's antics amusing. The story-per-chapter format will appeal to reluctant readers, who won't have to read a whole book to get the payoff. This is by no means an essential purchase, but it's a fast, often funny read.‘Arwen Marshall, New York Public Library
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