Captain Pug; Laura James, illustrated by Églantine Ceulemans

Captain Pug is all at sea in a delightful and charming adventure. Pug, a dog scared of getting wet, is about to find himself up to his whiskers in water and most likely with a mouthful of jam tarts.

Lady Miranda and her dog Pug lead a pampered life. Looked after by two footmen and a housemaid. Today, Lady Miranda has a birthday party to attend on the boating lake and of course pug must come along too. To get pug looking the part, Lady Miranda dresses him in a rather dashing sailor suit. Something you should probably know about pug is that he is not too keen on water. He’s the kind of dog that walks around puddles and has a distinct dislike for baths. He’s not sure what a pedal is but he does know that a lake involves water and that can not be good.

After becoming trapped in a picnic basket, Pug finds himself pug-napped on a bus and a tour of all sorts of different water awaits. To be reunited with his owner, he is going to need to become the famous Captain Pug and then Lady Miranda will see him on the news and know exactly where to find him. But first he must get over his fear of water…

Fans of Squishy McFluff and Claude will delight in the adventures of another great pet. Pug is cheeky, charming and loveable. The plot is enjoyable, the story is full of humour and the accompanying illustrations in shades of orange and blue are wonderful.

Captain Pug is a perfect read for children who are in need of a read that has more text than a picture book whilst still maintaining all the appeal of a picture book with illustrations on almost every page. The inclusion of chapters definitely make it feel like a more grown-up read which I’m sure young children will delight in.

Recommended for 5+.