THE BOOK: Pointy Pembleton Visits The Dog Park

What It’s About:

Pointy Pembleton is a greyhound who’s just been rescued visiting his local dog park for the first time – but the other dogs think he’s a bit different and wierd and won’t play. Will Pointy ever find a friend?

Why It’s Awesome:

Well it’s about dogs for one. And $5 from every sale goes to help retired greyhounds find homes.  I’ve always loved visiting the rescue greyhounds at our local show, so Pointy is a hero I  can really get behind.

As readers of this series will also know, I love books with loads of characters you can do voices for and this one has so many doggies to voice! It’s such a fun read, with an easy rhyming rhythm. and teaches a great lesson about inclusivity.

THE PLAY: Indoor – Baking Dog Biscuits

Note: While these are nominally dog biscuits, there’s nothing stopping human consumption. My toddler ate three and assures me they are delicious.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup unsweetened apple puree or mashed banana
• 1/4 cup vegetable, chicken or beef stock
• bone shaped cookie cutter

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 180°.
2. Combine flour, peanut butter and apple sauce in a large mixing bowl. Add stock and stir until well-combined. The dough will be thick. Once combined use your hands to press the dough into a ball.
3. Place dough ball on a flat service (with a sprinkle of flour if needed) and roll out evenly to 1/4 thickness. Don’t have a rolling pin? Use a cold bottle of wine instead. I find it works better anyway and you get to drink it afterwards.
4. Dough should be about ¼ inch thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut the dough into desired shape and place on ungreased baking sheet.
5. Bake for 18 minutes or until golden brown. Store in an airtight container.

THE PLAY: Outdoor – Visit A Real Dog Park

Most parks and playgrounds also include an offleash dog area.  You don’t have to go inside if you don’t own a dog, but kids love even sitting outside the fence checking out the doggy fun.   These facilities can be located by checking out your local council’s website.  There’s some great learning opportunities for kids such as:

• Discuss the different breeds of dogs and the adjectives to describe them – see if you can spot a greyhound like Pointy Pembleton!
• Talk about how it’s very important to get the owners permission before patting a dog you don’t know