a 'bitsa' dog, a charming farm and lots of animal noises
/MY DOG BIGSY
by Alison Lester - Penguin Books Australia, 2015
ages baby to 6 years / funny, heartwarmers
The under-six crowd tend to love an animal book and this one is bound to be a winner.
Bigsy is a farm dog – but he doesn’t fit the stereotype.
He has short legs and a long body (his dad is a sausage dog) and plenty of chutzpah.
He’ll take on cockatoos and the kangaroos, barking playfully at them as they run away.
He’ll talk to the horses and the chooks.
He’ll chase the sheep and the ducks and try to move the cows and pigs – but the pig will chase him instead.
He’s a funny little dog full of attitude.
Alison Lester is, of course, Australia’s master teller of tales that evoke home and peace and comfort. Bigsy fits right in with her other books.
Naturally the pictures are warm and cheerful – they're light and full of movement. The words too are happy and easy to read. And there’s more!
My Dog Bigsy is great for:
Making and learning animal sounds – Bigsy makes ten different dog sounds! These are great for early readers because they’re easy to recognise and give a young reader a chance to read part of the story out loud. There are also a whole slew of other animal noises that are fun to say out loud – and fun to copy.
Recognising animals – Bigsy chases or plays with ten types of animals, each with simple and easily recognised pictures.
Talking about sequence – Bigsy has a routine that he follows each morning and so does his owner.
Learning about descriptors – there’s a cute picture of Bigsy labeled with his various distinguishing features.
Learning about food and farming – the text is sparse, so it’s easy enough to leave the text for a moment to talk about why, for example, a farm would have chickens. Since there’s a nice pattern to the words, it’s fairly simple to get back onto the story without losing context.
Most of all – I think My Dog Bigsy will be a big favourite with pet owners or aspiring pet owners.
You can buy this book via these direct links: Book Depository - Booktopia
