Good Dog McTavish; Meg Rosoff, illustrated by Grace Easton

This first in a series of stories is a delightful family caper starring a loveable dog who brings plenty of warmth, cleverness and humour.

The Peachey household is in chaos. Ma Peachey has resigned as mum of the house and family life is rapidly going down hill, the dirty clothes are piling up, meals are not getting cooked and with  no one to organise everybody lateness is becoming a serious issue. Not-yet-nine-year-old Betty knows that the family need help and is sure that the answer can be found at CHUM  - Cuddles Home for Unclaimed Mutts.

When fluffy bundle of joy McTavish arrives at his new home he finds a messy house and a family in disarray. With the household falling apart it is up to McTavish to save the day. With the best interests of the family at heart, he embarks on his own rescue mission. But will his carefully thought out plans be enough to get his adopted family back in order…

Meg Rosoff tells a sweet and funny story about a dog that finds himself having to train his newly adopted family how to behave properly. Unlike the Peachey family, McTavish has plenty of common sense and his solutions to their problems are simple yet very effective, readers will delight in this clever dog’s antics. Family can’t get up on time, nothing that a bit of conveniently timed barking and howling won’t fix. Clothes scattered all around the house, McTavish finds that they make the perfect bedding and that in doing so the family are quick to put their clothes away. Too many shoes not on the shoe rack, using them as chew toys should have everyone being more careful about where they leave their footwear.

There is no magic or fantasy in the story, no dog being able to talk to a human. It is simply a dog making perceptive observations of the humans he lives with and doing his bit to heal a family who are vey much in need. Told from both the perspectives of McTavish and the Peachey’s, the story, full of comedy and wit, is a delightfully accurate portrayal of a busy family household and will leave many readers wanting a McTavish of their own.

With lovely messages about appreciating family members who do lots of tasks around the home and the importance of helping out, it will be a read that will be well received by both children and their parents.

Published by Barrington Stoke, this read is printed in dyslexia friendly font and has an accessible layout and spacing ensuring the book can be accessed by every child. Bringing the household chaos to life are illustrations by Grace Easton.

Recommended for 7+.