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The Detective Dog
"There once was a dog with a keen sense of smell.
She was known far and wide as Detective Dog Nell.
Peter's dog Nell has an amazing sense of smell. Whether it's finding a lost shoe or discovering who did a poo on the new gravel path, her ever-sniffing nose is always hard at work. But Nell has other talents too. Every Monday she goes to school with Peter and listens to children read. So who better to have on hand when they arrive one morning to discover that the school's books have all disappeared! Who could have taken them? And why? There's only one dog for the job... and Detective Dog Nell is ready to sniff out the culprit!
Written by the brilliant Julia Donaldson and stunningly illustrated by the multi-talented illustrator and printmaker Sara Ogilvie, The Detective Dog is a fast-paced celebration of books, reading, libraries, and the relationship between a little boy and his rather special dog.
Now available in a cased board book format, perfect for introducing Detective Nell to younger children!"
She was known far and wide as Detective Dog Nell.
Peter's dog Nell has an amazing sense of smell. Whether it's finding a lost shoe or discovering who did a poo on the new gravel path, her ever-sniffing nose is always hard at work. But Nell has other talents too. Every Monday she goes to school with Peter and listens to children read. So who better to have on hand when they arrive one morning to discover that the school's books have all disappeared! Who could have taken them? And why? There's only one dog for the job... and Detective Dog Nell is ready to sniff out the culprit!
Written by the brilliant Julia Donaldson and stunningly illustrated by the multi-talented illustrator and printmaker Sara Ogilvie, The Detective Dog is a fast-paced celebration of books, reading, libraries, and the relationship between a little boy and his rather special dog.
Now available in a cased board book format, perfect for introducing Detective Nell to younger children!"
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2016
11 people are currently reading
563 people want to read
About the author
Julia Donaldson
1,232 books1,911 followersGrowing up
I grew up in a tall Victorian London house with my parents, grandmother, aunt, uncle, younger sister Mary and cat Geoffrey (who was really a prince in disguise. Mary and I would argue about which of us would marry him).
Mary and I were always creating imaginary characters and mimicking real ones, and I used to write shows and choreograph ballets for us. A wind-up gramophone wafted out Chopin waltzes.
I studied Drama and French at Bristol University, where I met Malcolm, a guitar-playing medic to whom I’m now married.
Busking and books
Before Malcolm and I had our three sons we used to go busking together and I would write special songs for each country; the best one was in Italian about pasta.
The busking led to a career in singing and songwriting, mainly for children’s television. I became an expert at writing to order on such subjects as guinea pigs, window-cleaning and horrible smells. “We want a song about throwing crumpled-up wrapping paper into the bin” was a typical request from the BBC.
I also continued to write “grown-up” songs and perform them in folk clubs and on the radio, and have recently released two CDs of these songs.
One of my television songs, A SQUASH AND A SQUEEZE, was made into a book in 1993, with illustrations by the wonderful Axel Scheffler. It was great to hold the book in my hand without it vanishing in the air the way the songs did. This prompted me to unearth some plays I’d written for a school reading group, and since then I’ve had 20 plays published. Most children love acting and it’s a tremendous way to improve their reading.
My real breakthrough was THE GRUFFALO, again illustrated by Axel. We work separately - he’s in London and I’m in Glasgow - but he sends me letters with lovely funny pictures on the envelopes.
I really enjoy writing verse, even though it can be fiendishly difficult. I used to memorise poems as a child and it means a lot to me when parents tell me their child can recite one of my books.
Funnily enough, I find it harder to write not in verse, though I feel I am now getting the hang of it! My novel THE GIANTS AND THE JONESES is going to be made into a film by the same team who made the Harry Potter movies, and I have written three books of stories about the anarchic PRINCESS MIRROR-BELLE who appears from the mirror and disrupts the life of an otherwise ordinary eight-year-old. I have just finished writing a novel for teenagers.
When I’m not writing I am often performing, at book festivals and in theatres. I really enjoy getting the children in the audience to help me act out the stories and sing the songs. When Malcolm can take time off from the hospital he and his guitar come too. and it feels as if we’ve come full circle - back to busking.
I grew up in a tall Victorian London house with my parents, grandmother, aunt, uncle, younger sister Mary and cat Geoffrey (who was really a prince in disguise. Mary and I would argue about which of us would marry him).
Mary and I were always creating imaginary characters and mimicking real ones, and I used to write shows and choreograph ballets for us. A wind-up gramophone wafted out Chopin waltzes.
I studied Drama and French at Bristol University, where I met Malcolm, a guitar-playing medic to whom I’m now married.
Busking and books
Before Malcolm and I had our three sons we used to go busking together and I would write special songs for each country; the best one was in Italian about pasta.
The busking led to a career in singing and songwriting, mainly for children’s television. I became an expert at writing to order on such subjects as guinea pigs, window-cleaning and horrible smells. “We want a song about throwing crumpled-up wrapping paper into the bin” was a typical request from the BBC.
I also continued to write “grown-up” songs and perform them in folk clubs and on the radio, and have recently released two CDs of these songs.
One of my television songs, A SQUASH AND A SQUEEZE, was made into a book in 1993, with illustrations by the wonderful Axel Scheffler. It was great to hold the book in my hand without it vanishing in the air the way the songs did. This prompted me to unearth some plays I’d written for a school reading group, and since then I’ve had 20 plays published. Most children love acting and it’s a tremendous way to improve their reading.
My real breakthrough was THE GRUFFALO, again illustrated by Axel. We work separately - he’s in London and I’m in Glasgow - but he sends me letters with lovely funny pictures on the envelopes.
I really enjoy writing verse, even though it can be fiendishly difficult. I used to memorise poems as a child and it means a lot to me when parents tell me their child can recite one of my books.
Funnily enough, I find it harder to write not in verse, though I feel I am now getting the hang of it! My novel THE GIANTS AND THE JONESES is going to be made into a film by the same team who made the Harry Potter movies, and I have written three books of stories about the anarchic PRINCESS MIRROR-BELLE who appears from the mirror and disrupts the life of an otherwise ordinary eight-year-old. I have just finished writing a novel for teenagers.
When I’m not writing I am often performing, at book festivals and in theatres. I really enjoy getting the children in the audience to help me act out the stories and sing the songs. When Malcolm can take time off from the hospital he and his guitar come too. and it feels as if we’ve come full circle - back to busking.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 236 reviews
January 28, 2026
Scratch scratch. Thump thump. “What is that noise?” I ask my husband. “Oh, that is probably Owen.” He says nonchalantly. (For those who don’t know, Owen is our 7-year-old Pembroke welsh corgi with a tail. Picture available on my page.)
“Oh.” I say more to myself than to him. I realize yes, it is Owen finding one of the many toys that Oscar, our youngest Cardigan welsh corgi has hidden from his pack. Owen, you see, is our detective dog.
This is the delightfully illustrated story of Nell, the detective dog who the author shares in rhyme all the wonderful ways she finds things around the house and the neighborhood. There was even a day she became a hero dog when her famous sniffer saved the day. (No spoilers from me!)
This is a beautiful story about not just Nell, but about the love of books, and libraries, and kids, and community.
It also encourages problem-solving.
This is a fun read-aloud for kids in grades K-2. Grown-ups may wish to read this as an introduction to a library visit.
“Oh.” I say more to myself than to him. I realize yes, it is Owen finding one of the many toys that Oscar, our youngest Cardigan welsh corgi has hidden from his pack. Owen, you see, is our detective dog.
This is the delightfully illustrated story of Nell, the detective dog who the author shares in rhyme all the wonderful ways she finds things around the house and the neighborhood. There was even a day she became a hero dog when her famous sniffer saved the day. (No spoilers from me!)
This is a beautiful story about not just Nell, but about the love of books, and libraries, and kids, and community.
It also encourages problem-solving.
This is a fun read-aloud for kids in grades K-2. Grown-ups may wish to read this as an introduction to a library visit.
September 18, 2017
Another absolute favourite with my children.
November 23, 2019
Sweet book about dog Nell that goes to school with her person. The books are stolen from school one day and the dog leads the kids to the thief. They then show the thief the public library where he can check out as many books as he likes without having to steal. Lovely book about loving books!
July 10, 2017
Great little mystery story for children, with a feel good ending. My son loved the dog and the thought of taking the dog to school has put ideas in his head.
September 19, 2020
Ah we loved this book. It was sad and heartwarming at the same time .
You can't beat a book about books either!
You can't beat a book about books either!
May 8, 2021
Не мина много време след появата на Грузулака на български език и ето, че Джулия Доналдсън вече се бе наредила сред любимите автори и на родните малки читатели и техните родители. И напълно заслужено! Че кой не обича оригинални истории със запомнящи се герои, разказани със закачливи рими и придружени от прекрасни илюстрации? Всички тези отличителни черти, които сме свикнали да присъстват в книгите на Доналдсън са отново на лице и в нейното интригуващо стихотворно криминале за най-малките – „Кучето детектив” (изд. „Жанет 45”). За първи път имаме удоволствието да се порадваме на илюстрации от талантливата Сара Огилви, а преводът и този път е, то се знае, от Мария Донева. Прочетете ревюто на „Книжни Криле”: https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/202...
August 30, 2017
There are some Julia Donaldson books that don't work for me (Highway Rat being a good example) but this one does. It's nice to see a fresh illustrator take on Donaldson's work and I think Sara Ogilvie is fantastic. The expressions, movement and graceful shape of the protagonist: Nell the dog.
The story celebrates our passion for reading and all the joys that books bring. When the school's library simply vanishes overnight, it is up to Nell to sniff out the perpetrator. The rhyming helps jolly along the story but it is the message of the importance of literature and libraries is an excellent one.
The story celebrates our passion for reading and all the joys that books bring. When the school's library simply vanishes overnight, it is up to Nell to sniff out the perpetrator. The rhyming helps jolly along the story but it is the message of the importance of literature and libraries is an excellent one.
July 23, 2018
A cute dog in colorful backdrops, a fun rhyming prose and a mysterious case of missing books make this a really fun and engaging read!
Ages: 4 - 8
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it! Visit my website: The Book Radar.
Ages: 4 - 8
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it! Visit my website: The Book Radar.
April 4, 2022
#22 of 2022
Loved it so much! Dogs and books, what more do you need?
Loved it so much! Dogs and books, what more do you need?
March 6, 2023
bibliotekspropaganda! 😍
June 10, 2018
5 stars for this wonderful, fun-to-read-aloud rhyme-y story, 10 stars for detective dog Nell, who saves the day by solving the case AND being the cutest library advocate ever.
June 14, 2016
This is a brand new Julia Donaldson! How exciting! I don't know how well it will do being a hardcover, I find a lot of parents are averse to buying hardcover books for their kids, at least in my shop.
This is a brightly illustrated book that left me with a sense of wonder, if any book will inspire the littles to read, it'll be one about a book thief who discovers a library thanks to a book loving detective dog!
Loved Sara Ogilvie's illustrations, they just made the story to be honest. This is quite a long one for Julia Donaldson, but well worth the read!
This is a brightly illustrated book that left me with a sense of wonder, if any book will inspire the littles to read, it'll be one about a book thief who discovers a library thanks to a book loving detective dog!
Loved Sara Ogilvie's illustrations, they just made the story to be honest. This is quite a long one for Julia Donaldson, but well worth the read!
May 2, 2021
Tämä hauska runomittaan kirjoitettu tarina kertoo Ella-nimisestä koirasta, joka on etevä etsimään asioita. Ella toimii maanantaisin lukukoirana koulussa, mutta eräänä päivänä kaikki kirjat uuppuvat koulun kirjastosta! On aika laittaa Ellan etevä etsijänenä toimimaan ja seurata johtolankoja.
Hauska kirja, jossa oli mielestäni oikein onnistunutta riimittelyä. Kirjan lukeminen ääneen oli vaivatonta, eikä lukemisen jaksotusta tarvinnut pysähtyä miettimään. Aukeamilla oli paljon erilaista katsottavaa ja ihmeteltävää. Kuvitus oli mielestäni herttaista kaikessa ihanassa yksityiskohtaisuudessaan.
Hauska kirja, jossa oli mielestäni oikein onnistunutta riimittelyä. Kirjan lukeminen ääneen oli vaivatonta, eikä lukemisen jaksotusta tarvinnut pysähtyä miettimään. Aukeamilla oli paljon erilaista katsottavaa ja ihmeteltävää. Kuvitus oli mielestäni herttaista kaikessa ihanassa yksityiskohtaisuudessaan.
June 27, 2018
Joyful, sweet, and fun, with a classic feel. Well-done rhymes celebrate both dogs and the joy of reading!
August 12, 2022
My two year old LOVES this book. Great art to go with the story. Always a great read.
July 31, 2021
Charming rhyming story about a detective dog, Nell, who has a wonderful sense of smell and is great at solving problems.
November 21, 2018
This is about a dog called 'Nell' that visits a school to read with the children. One thing I like about the book is the pictures take up all the page so readers can really see and imagine what is going on. The book could be good for teaching rhyme, repetition and rhetorical questions as the book uses these a lot. I think the book reflects that dogs don't have to be just a pet, they can be good therapy for children in supporting them. It is something the children can relate to if they have a dog at home or like dogs. It also highlights that it is not okay to take belongings without asking and that a library is a really valuable place where children can sit, read and take books out at their own leisure.
Would definitely use this book in school.
Would definitely use this book in school.
March 23, 2020
På svenska heter boken Detektivhunden.
Jag gillar Julia Donaldson, speciellt när de lyckas göra en bra översättning av hennes rim. Och det tycker jag att de lyckats med i Detektivhunden.
Detektivhunden Siv är duktig på att nosa fram saker. Hennes näsa sätts på prov när alla böcker blir stulna ur klassrummet, ve och fasa! Berättelsen slutar i hur fint det är att det finns bibliotek där vi får låna böcker gratis.
Jag gillar Julia Donaldson, speciellt när de lyckas göra en bra översättning av hennes rim. Och det tycker jag att de lyckats med i Detektivhunden.
Detektivhunden Siv är duktig på att nosa fram saker. Hennes näsa sätts på prov när alla böcker blir stulna ur klassrummet, ve och fasa! Berättelsen slutar i hur fint det är att det finns bibliotek där vi får låna böcker gratis.
February 12, 2019
I read this book with Year 1 and they loved it. It is a great book for book discussion as there are so many questions to ask!
Who do you think the thief is?
What does the thief look like?
What do you think is behind the door?
They were all really engaged with the story and came up with some fantastic ideas as we went along!
Who do you think the thief is?
What does the thief look like?
What do you think is behind the door?
They were all really engaged with the story and came up with some fantastic ideas as we went along!
July 27, 2024
I read the Spanish version of the book and to hear all the other commenters praise the rhythm and rhyme, I think it lost something in translation. It is a cute story. I love the idea of a dog going to school to be read to. I question the competence of the teacher who allowed the students to follow a dog through the countryside to a criminal's house, but I'll allow it. :) I adored the illustrations.
February 4, 2019
A repetitive book full of continuous phrases which may encourage the children to join in with the book.
The illustrations are clever because they are simple with the smell linking in the air; showing the children how Nell is the detective trying to find the smell of the thief.
The illustrations are clever because they are simple with the smell linking in the air; showing the children how Nell is the detective trying to find the smell of the thief.
September 25, 2023
Нел обича понеделниците и като всяко уважаващо се куче може да надуши всичко. А когато в понеделник в читателския клуб няма нито една книга, тя не може да остане безразлична и да не помогне да намерят крадецът. Защото освен куче, тя е и детектив.
December 21, 2023
What a terrific book. Brilliant use of rhyming and a super sleuth. I bought this as a Christmas present and started reading it whilst I was wrapping. I’m so glad I did; it actually brought tears to my eyes. Books, libraries and a dog - what more could anyone want?
June 4, 2018
Cute reading therapy dog who's also a detective!? Loved this one.
September 4, 2018
So this book is frickin' adorable--art and story.
February 4, 2019
Good book. Read it to the class at the end of the school day - children really enjoyed thus as a way to wind down after learning and before going home.
March 23, 2020
Om det fina med bibliotek!
October 22, 2020
Kuvitus ei tässä ole minun suosikkini mutta ammatin kannalta loistava kirja. Jännitystä lukukoira ja kirjasto. Toimii.
July 17, 2022
Ganska trista rim, föråldrat språk.
July 29, 2022
4,5 sterren - Nederlandse hardcover
"Hondje slim" zei mijn kleindochter. Ja dit boek gaat over een slimme hond. Van ons een aanbeveling! Super leuk prentenboek.
"Hondje slim" zei mijn kleindochter. Ja dit boek gaat over een slimme hond. Van ons een aanbeveling! Super leuk prentenboek.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 236 reviews