Lots of Dots
Pippa Goodhart and Anna Doherty
Tiny Owl

Everyone wants to feel they belong but all too often there are challenges that get in the way. Will that be the case for the creatures in Pippa’s story, much of which is in the form of dialogue.

It begins with one Jaguar expressing aloud feelings of loneliness within the hearing of Ladybird and before long they and several other animals have formed “A Dotsy Club” with a secret password to be known only by club members. The arrival of Zebra causes the club members to rethink their membership criterion and it soon becomes the Patterns Club for which they set to work creating a flag.

Then comes the question of what to play: it needs to be something inclusive but soon along comes the very plain Monkey. Does Monkey feel lonely?: definitely not. Monkey is a member of an all inclusive club and it has a badge that everybody already possesses.

Can you guess what this badge is called? Moreover, do they actually still need a club at all?

What these creatures demonstrate is something that sadly all too many humans lack: wisdom and an understanding that it’s both similarities and differences that make life interesting. Anna Doherty’s animals – patterned or otherwise – are an engaging cast of characters. Keep an eye out for the tiny, unnamed ones too: they might not be saying anything but it’s fun to follow their activities throughout the book.

Share and discuss wherever possible.