Having a family pet can be a source of lessons for life, bringing
both joy and responsibility. But in Danny’s case the eponymous
Rover of the rhyming title is also a source of envy. When the
boisterous dog does what dogs do careering around the garden and
the beach, messing about and scaring the neighbourhood cats he
still can do no wrong. He is even patted on the head! For young
Danny this is the final straw. What can he do to gain some praise?
He moves into Rover’s kennel and acts like him. He soon discovers,
though, that his own doggy behaviour digging up Mum’s garden
plants, snapping at sister’s Siamese and working really hard at
playing find-and-fetch with Dad fails to achieve the same
results. Only when Rover and Danny join forces in having a mud bath
is the strained atmosphere relieved as the two ridiculous ‘mucky
pups’ enjoy all the attention and laughter. As an added bonus the
author himself comments on the need for everyone to feel happy and
appreciated and there is even a certificate at the end which
anyone can fill in if they deserve a pat on the head! Five to
seven-year-olds will really enjoy this story for its characters,
storyline and word games. The comic sans text is brought to life
with unobtrusive effects such as alliteration and repetition, with
phonic patterning useful for learning to read, and there is plenty
to talk and think about here. Parents and teachers will enjoy
reading this book aloud as much as children will enjoy joining in:
at the same time it should come with a health and safety warning as
no doubt many will want to join in with Rover’s antics! Inevitably,
in a Jac Jones creation the text is far from the whole story.
Unexpected perspectives and angles abound, from the dust jacket to
the detailed end papers, and the quirky drawings of expressive
nearly-normal people and animals in bright primary and natural
colours seem both familiar and larger than life. Every page of Move
Over, Rover deserves to be looked at carefully and enjoyed. Let’s
hope we learn more about Danny and his family life in future.
*M Lorna Herbert Egan @ www.gwales.com*
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