Bitza by Andrew Daddo. Illus. by Stephen Michael King

Bitza is a dog.  A bit Labrador, a bit Poodle.  A bit Kelpie and Staffy and even a bit Hound.  He is also a bit lost.  Bitza follows the ball thief because a good dog looks after its ball.  And that is why he followed Jasper home.

Japser is looking for a dog, Bitza is looking for a home and Dad is looking for Bitza’s owner. 

What follows is a delightful story for independent readers about a lost dog, a young girl who really wants to own a pet and a dad who makes them do the right thing.  Told from the perspective of the dog and with interesting conversations included as to what the dog is thinking as the humans are interacting with each other and Bitza.  I particularly liked the fact that we heard the dog’s voice and the explanation of what Bitza recognized as emotions and the response to this in his dog’s mind, made the humour of the story delightful.

Bitza is the first in a new series and it is sure to be a favourite.  It is written in a similar format to the Aussie Bites books with large text, black and white illustrations and short chapters, perfect for the emerging reader and as a read aloud.  This was a great read, and I can’t wait to read more of Jasper and Bitza’s adventures in the next book.

Themes: Pets, friendship, family,.

Mhairi Alcorn