Super Sausage Dog To The Rescue
Rachel Morrisroe, illustrated by Jenny Taylor
Puffin

When this story starts – the first in a new series – Dottie, an adorable dachshund is residing at Doris Darling’s Home for Dogs. In order to find a forever home however, she is keeping under wraps the fact that this dachshund cross has super skills; she can fly and she can talk. Then into the rescue centre come Harry and his dad and before Dottie can say ‘treat’ she’s in a car heading for a new abode.

Once settled in, it’s not long before Dottie’s super skills are discovered by Harry and the pooch takes the risk of sharing her entire life history with the boy. Happily he thinks Dottie is amazing.
As the two are talking together, a squirrel appears at the window and using its breath and paws writes a message on the glass urging them to attend a meeting the following dawn. Dottie’s powers are urgently needed by Rebecca Refractor who runs Superpets, a secret organisation of superhero pets that keep the world safe from super villains.  How though can the superpets keep the world safe when they are being kidnapped by a supervillain intent on making them part of her collection? 

It’s up to ‘Super Sausage’ Dottie and Harry to stop the petnapping of the remaining superpets by Sparkletta Collector, either that or face being her next victims. Can the duo do it?

The two lead characters take turns to narrate their action-packed adventure giving readers a lot of laugh-out-loud moments: Dottie describes her farts thus, ‘My trumpets are louder than twenty trombones in an orchestra. Big, broccoli-scented bottom belches billow down into the room.’
More laugh-out-loud moments, including one of the Prime Minister glued to the wall wearing his polka-dot pants, are provided by Jenny Taylor’s drawings.

And who wouldn’t want to visit ‘The Factual History Museum’ – just one of Rachel Morrisroe’s splendidly playful phrases. I found myself giggling every couple of minutes as I read this zany tale and like its target audience of primary readers, will eagerly await book two.