Don’t Do It, Doug
Maudie Powell-Tuck and Duncan Beedie
Little Tiger

Doug is a hamster with insatiable curiosity. Nothing wrong with that you might think, but with Doug, the result always seems to land him in trouble. Lacking self control, he does things such as shaking cans of fizzy drink, disturbing a nest of bees – ouch!

and touching a tall pyramid of canned beans, causing an avalanche. (I seem to remember my partner being similarly tempted by a tall stack of bean bag seats in Habitat with similar catastrophic results, causing the floor staff considerable angst.)

Having pressed the lever on a reclining chair that his insect friend has taken him to for relaxation purposes, he ends up flat as a pancake, between the halves so his pal takes him skydiving, followed by wakeboarding and lastly, roller-coaster riding.

After these experiences, Doug appears to have gained control of his impulses. He slurps his drinks, ignores red buttons and handles the tiny saucepan with surprising care. His friends even award him a rosette.

Could it be a case of no more temptations for Doug? Errr! What do you think? The last we see of him he’s wielding a stick …

Duncan Beedie’s illustrations are absolutely bursting with humour and are an ideal complement to Maudie Powell-Tuck’s to the point narrative. Young listeners will delight in admonishing Doug by repeating, ‘Don’t do it, Doug!’ when an adult shares the book.