Diggy the Dog Explores Friendship

The book is flat-out adorable! The whimsical illustrations are what gives this book its particular and very sweet charm.

Rhymes are part of pre-literacy skills in children, as they teach children about the cadence of language. The rhyming storyline in this book makes it a wonderful book to read out loud to a child, and the darling drawings are a perfect complement to the story.

Clear drawings allow for a child to visually understand what is being read to them, and make for a perfect way to reinforce the story. (“Where is the dog? Yes, there is the brown dog! Where is the red bird? Yes, there is the red bird!”) At the same time, each picture has a cleverness to it that will entertain parents in addition to enchanting their child. A bird peers at its reflection in the water, a duckling relaxes on a piece of wood floating down a river, a rabbit waggles its legs in the air while digging in the ground; each animal has a particularly expressive face that turns this book into a treasure hunt of friendly animals.

The storyline has its own charms, as Diggy the Dog gets lost while adventuring and tries to find his way home. He meets a host of forest animals, each with their own strength, and learns that while each animal has their own strengths, together they can achieve more than they can individually, helping him find his way back home.

Although I read this book with an eye to how my toddler would enjoy it, I enjoyed reading it myself, as the drawings are just so fanciful and imaginative that one can’t help being charmed. I actually read the book several times, as the drawings were just so cleverly charming that I wanted to make sure I appreciated every nuance of them.

I highly recommend this book for its simply and sweet message and absolutely precious drawings!