Dog Star

by Jenny Nimmo

Looking at the sky one frosty night, Marty sees the Dog Star in all its brilliance for the first time. Although she has Tiggy, her cat, Marty longs for a dog; she'd call it Star. Later that night, when the Dog Star's light beams into her room, she discovers a real live dog beneath her bed and it seems that her wish has come true. But will Star bring Marty and her family happiness?

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Jenny Nimmo was born in Windsor, Berkshire, England and educated at boarding schools in Kent and Surrey from the age of six until the age of sixteen, when she ran away from school to become a drama student/assistant stage manager with Theater South East. She graduated and acted in repertory theater in various towns and cities: Eastbourne, Tunbridge Wells, Brighton, Hastings, and Bexhill.

She left Britain to teach English to three Italian boys in Almafi, Italy. On her return, she joined the BBC, first as a picture researcher, then as an assistant floor manager, studio manager (news) then finally a director/adaptor with Jackanory (a BBC storytelling program for children). She left BBC to marry a Welsh artist David Wynn Millward and went to live in Wales in her husband's family home. They live in a very old converted watermill, and the river is constantly threatening to break in, as it has done several times in the past, most dramatically on her youngest child's first birthday. During the summer they run a residential school of art, and she has to move her office, put down tools (type-writer and pencil, and don an apron and cook! They have three grown-up children, Myfawny, Ianto, and Gwenwyfar.

Reviews

[By Book and Bone (Sally) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much wish I had read this when I was a child. It's beautiful. I listened the audiobook, which is gorgeous.
It's nice to see a positive children's book about parents starting to date, where is shows one child resisting and another not minding. The ending is cute.

[Bryony Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favourite book in Primary school and the first book I remember that really made me love reading! The story aspect felt so out of this world but so down to earth at the same time. The storyline is so sweet and it makes you feel good after reading this book.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread my old kids book. It was a great book.

[Gemma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sweet little story.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenny Nimmo is an elegant writer. In this very tight text, she deals with a relatively complex issue (that of children dealing with the blending of families) in a gentle, sympathetic way but with no wasted words.

I like the way her writing tends to have somewhat of the feeling of a fairytale or a fantasy classic from the mid 20th century and yet always reads as completely contemporary and fresh.

This would be both relevant and readable to many mid primary aged students.