The Bark Book

Victoria Mackinlay

Beth Harvey

ABC Books, 2021

32pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

Being a dog can be lonely if you’re stuck inside while everyone else is at school or work.  But when your owner comes through the door and you know that that means time for a walk outside, then the adventures are innumerable and the excitement immeasurable.  And there is a bark for every part of the journey, even when you’re stuck because you chased a skink.

Combining minimal but clever text with equally clever illustrations (check the tree’s expression embedded in the bark when the dogs wees on it), this is a story that every dog owner who has walked their pooch will relate to.  And the young reader will get just as much joy from the read as the dog gets from its walk.  It is one that needs to be shared together because the words and pictures are so dependent on each other, and each time it is shared there will be something new to discover!