Valerie: Australia's bravest sausage dog by Lucinda Gifford

Valerie the sausage dog goes missing from her camp site, after pinching a sausage from the barbecue. But once eaten she finds herself on a boat pulling away from the shore. Out at sea, she rolls with the waves until one tosses her overboard. Buoyed up by a pod of dolphins, she leaps onto a surf board and gets to the shore. She lives a dream life, sunning herself on the beach at Kangaroo Island, floating in the water, lying on the beach, stealing food from picnics, and licking the occasional ice cream. 

Lucinda Gifford has taken this fascinating story of Valerie the sausage dog, and imagined how she may have survived almost two years. We are taken into Valerie’s memories as she runs through the bush, going down stairs, watching the waves and fishing by the river. She is able to eat enough to keep well until one day she sees a campsite just like hers. The smells draw her on and she peeks inside the tent to see a dog on its own bed. She looks wistfully at the dog and makes up her mind to find her family. She runs through valleys, down hills, through deserts and rivers, until she spies a cottage that looks familiar. And again a barbecue is cooking food as she approaches the family wagging her ears. A joyous reunion occurs and she gets back into her bed, wondering what adventure to go on next.

Gifford has created a lovely, amusing story about a lost dog living in the bush. Kids will adore seeing the little dog surviving and wonder how they may have survived, laughing all the while at Valerie’s antics. Gifford’s illustrations present Kangaroo Island landscapes along with flora and fauna easily recognised by younger readers. They will enjoy hearing the book read aloud, which encourages the readers to predict the rhyming words in the stanzas.

Themes: Verse form, Animals, Kangaroo Island, Survival, Family.

Fran Knight