What would you do if you found the world’s smallest dog?
When Ernie and his family leave the countryside to move to the city, Ernie feels like he’ll never settle into their new home. Yet on his first night, a surprising new friend introduces himself – Swop is a very tiny dog. A dog that just happens to be the size of a satsuma. Ernie vows to keep Swop a secret, but Swop has other ideas and he’s determined to make Ernie’s first day at his new school a memorable one!
The relationships in Ernie’s family are brought to life early on in the book, the family have moved to the city to be closer to Ernie’s Gran, his dad’s mum, after his dad’s death. The raw emotions of loss and grief are touched on sensitively and connect Ernie and his Gran into a relationship that Ernie is both pleased with and embarrassed by, especially when Gran turns up to school. This theme doesn’t run throughout the book, but I suspect will be of greater importance in later books in the series.
Ernie’s older sister, Ivy, is deaf, and the fact that both of them can use sign-language is a helpful tool in dealing with some of the challenges that Ernie faces throughout the day. It reminded me of the time my friends and I learned a few words and the alphabet to cheat at charades in drama at school… There is a handy guide to the sign-alphabet at the back of the book should anyone else want to learn the basics, which I highly recommend. Although, not for cheating at charades, for that learn sign-language properly and make sure your friends learn too.
The story itself is light-hearted and amusing, with lots of mischief caused by Swop as he runs riot in the school and Ernie desperately tries to keep his existence a secret. The twists and turns of the story keep the pace moving along with unexpected turns, even when you thought you knew what would happen next!
A great read for a younger audience, particularly Year’s 3 to 5.