Andrew Dittmer (text) and Jenni Goodman (illustrator), Snuffy, New Holland Publishers, March 2022, 32 pp., RRP$22.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781760792640
Snuffy is a little dog who loves to sniff! When Snuffy goes on a trip to the beach with her human, Grum, he warns her …if that nuisance nose causes trouble again, there’ll be no more beach trips. Which means, of course, that Snuffy’s sniffing causes all sorts of dramas, until, that is, her sniffing saves the day.
Snuffy is a book that begs to be read aloud, just as the author Andrew Dittmer intended. The text is clear, sometimes swooping around the pages creating visual movement. Words that need emphasis are printed red.
The illustrations by Jenni Goodman are bold and colourful, with plenty of lovely details for the observant young reader. I love the movement and chaos created by Snuffy’s sniffing.
Andrew Dittmer and Jenni Goodman are a brother and sister team. I hope we see more collaborative books from them, as this is an absolute winner!
Snuffy is a delightful picture book. I can guarantee that it will become a firm favourite with its young audience, with children asking for it to be read to them again, and again!
Snuffy has been nominated for the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year (Three to Five Years) 2022.
Reviewed by Gaby Meares
