The year is 1884, the place, Australia. A carload of dogs was been shipped from Adelaide to the outback to serve as rabbit hunters. One pup catches the eye of a train employee and rest, as the saying goes, is history. Bob, the Railway Dog: the True Story of an Adventurous Dog, by Connie Fenton, illustrated by Andrew McLeann is a nicely rendered version of this story.

There may have been lots of books back in the 1700's, but none were specifically for children. There were books of fables (designed to teach right and wrong) and books on etiquette (to teach proper behavior) but none that were just plain fun. Until John Newbery came along and that's when everything changed for the better! Balderdash!: John Newbery and the Boisterous Birth of Children's Books, by Michelle Markel and illustrated by Nancy Carpenter explains how he came to print books just for kids.

Turn on the Night, by Geraldo Valerio is a lovely, wordless story about a book, a little girl, and a dream. Charming!

Reading Hermit With Dog