Noodle the Doodle; Jonathan Meres, illustrated by Katy Halford

Dogs in school are gradually becoming more common, particularly from a well-being perspective. Noodle the doodle might not be the perfect school dog but he certainly brings a lot of smiles and fun to school life.

A new arrival in class is always exciting. But it is even more exciting when that new arrival is a loveable bundle of fur named Noodle. Noodle is not the best behaved member of Mr. Reed’s class but everyone loves him as he whizzes and sniffs and wees his way through the school day. Everyone is excited when Mr. Reed announces that a day of learning in the classroom will be replaced with a day at the beach. Of course, Noodle will be coming too. But with mini-golf balls to chase, sausages to snaffle and sand-castles to squash, will Noodle be able to contain his excitement…

Noodle the Doodle is a fun read with plenty of laughs, most of which are caused by the ever excited Noodle. Readers will delight in the adventures, antics and misbehaving of Noodle as he gets up to mischief in the classroom and then causes a few problems at the beach. Noodle might not behave perfectly, he might disrupt a few games and ‘steal’ the odd sausage but the children cannot stay mad at him for too long. And when a situation threatens to leave everyone stranded at the beach, whose nose and digging powers should come to the rescue…Noodle’s of course!

Familiarity is key for many children when reading and much of what happens in this story will be completely relatable. The realistic events, mishaps and the dog causing problems will have children laughing-out-loud. Jonathan Meres cleverly touches on a number of important issues through Noodle. He explores the anxiety that some children feel around animals, how dogs can help children gain confidence and how an animal can bring children closer together.

Katy Halford provides many funny illustrations and it is very pleasing to see that a diverse school population is represented. As always with Barrington Stoke, the book is published using dyslexic friendly font and colours so everyone can access this fun read.

Fun, fur and friendship! Noodle the Doodle and the children of Wigley Primary School serve up plenty of tail-wagging laughs both in the classroom and at the beach. An ideal read for struggling and reluctant readers.

Recommended for 8+.