Digby O'Day in the Fast Lane by Shirley Hughes

Digby O'Day in the Fast Lane by Shirley Hughes, illustrated by Clara Vulliamy
Candlewick Press

Rating: 4 stars

I was at a Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) conference over the weekend and learned something new. I actually learned a lot of new somethings, but this is the one pertaining to Digby O'Day in the Fast Lane: Squeezed between I Can Read early readers and middle grade is the "chapter book" genre for, generally speaking, 5 to 8 year olds. Within that there are a bunch of books cropping up that have a whole lot of pictures, some easier text, and are divided into chapters. These are called "early chapter books."

Digby O'Day is an early chapter book. It's the sort of book for kids who are wanting to read chapter books like their peers but aren't ready for them. Now, they can put this in their hands and feel comfortable knowing they're part of the reading chapter books crowd. If you click at the bottom of this blogpost on early chapter books, you'll see a few of the ones I've read and reviewed.

For some reason, Ben timed me when I read this. When I remarked on how quickly he read it, he handed it to me while we were sitting in the carpool lane, waiting to pick up Kiefer from preschool last week. "It took you eight minutes, Mom!" he reported. Ben's quirky competitiveness now gives you an idea of how long it took me to read it, and you can double that time for a kindergartener reading on-level and add more time for a child struggling to read.

Digby drove, and Percy admired the view.

Getting to the book, written by one of my favorite childhood authors Shirley Hughes (and illustrated by her daughter--how fun!):

This is a cute, please-everyone story of a dog named Digby, his pal Percy, and how they race against their sworn (okay, really there's not any swearing in this book) enemy Lou Ella. Lou Ella is a fancy-schmancy woman with a fancy-schmancy car that she upgrades at least once a year. She can always afford the nicest car but doesn't know a thing about fixing them up; Digby O'Day and his pal Percy are always stuck with their cute clunker but they make it run as smoothly as possible with their own two paws. Or four paws?

These three characters enter a race and, in tortoise-and-hare style, Lou Ella is so far in front that she decides to stop and have lunch. This plan backfires when lunch takes too long and Digby and Percy putt-putt by her and win the race. These three are likable characters...and they'll be back! This is the first in the series; two more are slated for publication within a year or two.

As always, happy reading!

David and Dog by Shirley Hughes

 David and Dog by Shirley Hughes

Rating: 5 sweet stars

I have a well loved, chewed up copy of this book tucked away on a high shelf in our library, away from the curious fingers of my trio.  My ten year old full name is written out in careful cursive on the first page. I usually share well, but this is one of my very favorite books from my own childhood, and my flimsy paperback copy needs to be seriously reinforced.

This is a simple little story of a well loved, probably chewed on stuffed animal named Dog.  It's David that loves him, takes him everywhere with him, and constantly holds him.  Until the one day when David drops Dog.  His big sister offers him one of her many teddies, but...sleep is just not the same without Dog.

The next day is the school Summer Fair.  (The illustration immediately takes me back to the fundraiser of a fair at one of our many Catholic schools, Sacred Heart School in Savannah, Georgia.) Tables are set up with different sorts of games and activities, all in the hopes to make you part with your nickels and quarters that will go towards the school.

On one such table are a bunch of old toys, being sold yard sale-style.  It's there that David finds Dog--with a sign on him labeled 5 cents!  While he rushes to find his mother to get the nickel and buy back dog, a not-so-nice little girl buys him and does not want to part with him.  David returns not with his mother but with big sister Bella, who is toting an enormous teddy she's won from a raffle.  The girl doesn't want to part with Dog...until she sees that teddy.

"Then Bella did something very kind."  (I must have read that sentence a million times.)  Bella generously offers a swap of stuffed animals, and the girl and David are enormously pleased with her good deed.  Brother and sister go home happily, where sleep is made much happier with Dog in bed.

That's it.  Nothing more to it.

I don't know what struck me as so wonderful about this book when I was a kid.  The sentence of kindness was my favorite, and I am sure I was impressed with Bella's willingness to sacrifice her prize for her brother's happiness.  But as I read it today, I still smile at her kindness and still hope that my kids treat each other as well as David and Bella treat each other.  At least most days.


P.S.  This book is now called Dogger.  Not sure why, but the title changed a few decades ago; both versions of the book are way out of print.  I think that means I'm officially old!