Clara Vulliamy, The Newshound (The dog squad #1), HarperCollins Publishers, August 2023, 128 pp., RRP $15.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780008565336
This new series featuring dogs, mystery, and a budding journalist, is sure to be hit with middle primary readers. When Eva finds a stray dog outside her apartment, she becomes determined to solve the mystery of where he came from and equally determined to keep him.
Eva names the dog, Wafer, and her best friends, Simone, and non-binary, Ash, help her to investigate his origin story. The trio are doubly keen to uncover the mystery behind Wafer so they can report it in the newspaper they produce called The Newshound.
Adults might find there’s something familiar about this series and that’s because Vulliamy is the daughter of famous English author/illustrator Shirley Hughes. Vulliamy’s black and white line illustrations are clearly influenced by her mother’s style and are equally endearing.
Along with the mystery, the engaging art and the inclusive representation of a non-binary character, this series has a lot to recommend it.
Reviewed by Heather Gallagher
