Dotty and the Magpie

by Jackie Wells, Dana Brown (Illustrator)

Dotty is a black-and-white spotty dog. She dearly wants to be brightly coloured, just like the creatures in her dreams... until a friendly magpie takes her on a trip to see the beauty and value in being black-and-white.

Paperback

Published January 1, 2015

About the author

Originally from the UK, Jackie Wells lived and worked in Hong Kong before moving permanently to Melbourne thirteen years ago with her family. One of her dogs is, of course, a spotty dog, while the other is fat and stripy. She also keeps chickens. Jackie has always loved reading and writing rhymes. Dotty and the Magpie is her first book, which demands to be read aloud.

Reviews

[Anne Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

There are many, many picture books featuring a theme of self-acceptance. It’s a staple of the genre. Many (dare I suggest most?) of this select grouping also feature animals and—making a big comeback recently—rhyming verse.

To stand out in such a crowded field is a feat. But Dotty and the Magpie manages it. Perhaps it’s Dana Brown’s illustrations—certainly the spread of puppy-eyed multi-coloured Dotty with a butterfly on her nose, dreaming of kingfishers, comprehensively won me over.

I’m not enarmoured of the busy cover but many of the interior illustrations simply glow. They evoke a promise of a happily-ever-after, despite Dotty’s bout of depression over her plain black and white appearance.

Dotty’s deepest desire is to be resplendent with rainbow colours, to be as bright as an emerald hummingbird or a tangerine clownfish. But she’s just an ordinary non-colourful dog.

Then one day along comes a magpie. The magpie takes her on a journey of self-acceptance by showing her a world of beautiful, useful and even majestic things that are plain black and white.

[Nola Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dotty the Dalmatian doesn't like being black and white in a colourful world. But a Magpie shows her that there are positive things about being black and white.

A nice message about being comfortable in your own skin. It's told in rhyme, though the rhythm of some lines wasn't quite right. Still, it made some good points and the illustrations are engaging.