The Squeakling: The Tale of Spike, Max and the Tiny Intruder

The story begins with the disturbance caused to a family on the arrival of a new baby, but this is from the perspectives of the family’s two dogs, Max and Spike. They are very disturbed by the arrival of 'the tiny intruder', who attacks their senses – “it shook things; it roared like an angry cat. And it stank.” Not only this, but they both feel ignored and unloved, so come up with cunning plans to make the humans appreciate them, which involve such things as “rolling in the stinkiest stuff they can find” and licking the dishes clean.

The illustrations are funny, and the dogs’ faces are very expressive. Both adults and children will enjoy reading this book and the satisfying plot builds to a gloriously happy ending with the dogs and the baby being best friends. It is easy to see why this book won the Storytimes Joy Cowley Award.