Detective Galileo: The dogfather by Pete Helliar. Illus. by Andrew Joyner

Australian comedian and television personality Pete Helliar is no newcomer to the world of children's fiction, having released six Frankie Fish books, a picture book and now two books in the new Detective Galileo series. The Dogfather is the second in the series, the first being Detective Galileo and a third, Chaos at the Cat Cafe, to be released soon. Unsurprisingly, Andrew Joyner's illustrations are perfect and the series is aimed at a slighly younger audience than Frankie Fish. Larger text, less pages and black-and-white illustrations on each page provide a perfect segue series for young readers who love graphic novels but are ready for the challenge of larger blocks of text. Varied text adds interest and relatively simple vocabulary makes the read achievable for young readers. 

Galileo is a horse who, in the first instalment of the series, captured a 'cat' burglar. His newly established detective agency runs on the grounds of Happy Valley Farm, home to a motley assortment of anthropomorphic animals, but there are also humans. Wonderful figurative language abounds throughout and adds most of the dry humour: 'trembling like a plant in the shadow of a dog's lifted hind leg', 'as confused as a hand puppet on the hand of a statue'. 

This series would work well as a classroom or home read aloud, but it falls a little flat in terms of added pizzazz that could have been achieved considering the potential of the setting and characters. The mystery plot itself (the Dogfather is protecting the sheep and chickens by stopping them giving up their milk and eggs to the farm collective) seems like an odd choice and while there is an attempt to make the characters unique and interesting, they all seem lacking. The Dogfather reference will also only be relevant to an adult, leaving children confused or unmoved. 

Themes: Humour, Mystery.

Nicole Nelson