Skoz the dog: Ready steady. Kaboom! by Andrew Daddo

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ABC Books, 2010. ISBN 978 0733327810.
Junior fiction. Skoz the dog has a problem, he sleepwalks, and this time he finds himself at a circus where all sorts of mayhem erupts as he is mistaken for the trained circus dog. Starting with being shot from a cannon, then finding himself leaping through hoops of fire, before being dressed in a tutu and placed on a horse, Skoz goes from one action thrill to the next. He is absolutely befuddled by it all, and wants a nice snooze. But when the snakes come out and there is talk of him being placed in the tiger's cage, he runs in fear of his life, and is suddenly scooped up by the trapeze artist, who loudly declares to the audience that this trick will be done without the net. The hapless Skoz is limp in his arms, but does the trick with aplomb, causing the audience to cheer so loudly that the trapeze artist announces that the trick will be repeated, but his time, blindfolded. Skoz runs for his life, and is luckily found by his owner, Fergus, on his way home from the circus.
A funny look at all the things kids will see at the circus, but through the eyes of a dog who is involved with many of the tricks, this little book will delight its readers. The illustrations by Judith Russell underline what Skoz is feeling as he is scooped up by one and all, and the looks upon his face are delightful. A very funny blend of words and pictures will endear this book to its readers. This is the third in the series about Skoz.
Fran Knight

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