Dot the Dalmatian loves visiting the children of Wallaby Ward, but her work doesn’t stop there – when one of her patients is in trouble, it’s up to Dot to save the day.
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Here are the children in Wallaby Ward,
Most of them happy but some of them bored.
A girl’s feeling shy and a baby is howling,
A toddler’s cross and a teenager’s scowling.
A visitor’s jumping about like a frog.
But looks who’s arrived! It’s the hospital dog.
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Julia says ... |
I got the idea for this book when I was visiting a children’s hospital and saw a picture of their visiting dog on a notice board. I then found out that the dog Nala and her owner Sandy lived very near me, so I persuaded them to take me on a ward round. Here is a picture of us all.
As you can see, Nala and Sandy don’t look at all like Dot and her owner in The Hospital Dog, and I changed their names too – but the book is dedicated to them.
You can see me telling the story and Sara Ogilvie drawing in this broadcast.
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The Hospital Dog has won the 2021 Indie Book Awards for Best Picture Book