Tom and his dog Pepper enjoy games together. When
Tom sees his neighbour Kate, and notices that her dog Bailey is wearing a
yellow jacket, he wants to buy one for Pepper.
Dad explains that Kate’s dog
wears a special jacket because he is a working dog.
The jacket tells people
that his owner has a disability and needs his assistance. Although a person
might appear well, without the Service Dog, they are unable to go about their
everyday life.
Tom has so many questions for dad to answer and it
is through his voice that we learn about the role of Service Dogs, how they are
trained, what they are trained to do, and what breed of dogs are inducted into
this special service.
This book has been created to draw children’s
attention through discussion, to the importance of never approaching working
dogs to pat or talk to them, for it distracts them from the vital work they do.
Stressed is the outstanding role Service Dogs play in people’s lives which
earns them the freedom to go anywhere. There is also a pronounced focus on the
strong bond that is formed between owner and dog.
Author Gina Dawson is an experienced dog trainer,
familiar with the needs of the disabled. Her motivation for this book was her
frequent observation of children’s behaviour around working dogs, and how their
spontaneity can unintentionally hinder the job these dogs are trained to do.
This is Vivienne Da Silva’s first illustrated book.
Her bold and sensitive translation of Gina Dawson’s text heralds a promising
career. Vivid, black outlined images work well against coloured pages as
background. The importance of the characters’ role is visible as they tell
their own story hand-in-hand with the words that relay the significance of the
dogs’ story.
The book has an eye-catching cover both front and
back. A picture of Bailey wearing his Service Dog jacket is an incentive for
children and parents to look into the book and discover its contents, and then further
research the role of working dogs for the disabled.
Title:
Next Door’s Dog Has a Job
Author:
Gina Dawson
Illustrator:
Vivienne Da Silva
Publisher:
New Holland Publishers, $16.99
Publication
Date: April 2018
Format:
Hardcover
ISBN:
9781921024870
For
ages: 3 - 8
Type:
Picture Book