When Tom meets Spider he is sure he has found a friend for life. But their companionship does not run smoothly. Spider can’t help being the naughty puppy that he is, and Tom has a lot on his plate: a new school, a bully and his parents’ separation.
But both boy and dog are far braver and more determined than anyone could have imagined. And as they journey to be reunited, unbreakable bonds of love are built.
Reviews
Poignant, funny, savage and ultimately uplifting, this is Mulligan at the top of his challenging form
Guardian
Genuinely powerful and compelling
Nicolette Jones, Sunday Times, Children's Book of the Week
Mulligan doesn’t duck the cruelty of the natural world and there are some pretty tear-jerking scenes. The journey to reunite pet and boy turns into a tense thriller, narrated by Spider, in which the bonds of love and need triumph over all the barriers, physical and emotional
Daily Mail, Children's Books of the Year
A thoroughly gripping buddy movie begging to be made, in which the underdogs … school everyone in true grit and loyalty
Observer, Children's Books of the Year
Dog is deliciously clever, deceptively simple, and a proper delight to read. I loved every page
Lucy Coats
A thrilling emotional rollercoaster of a tale
Sally Gardner
I loved Dog by Andy Mulligan. Spider, a dog undergoing an identity crisis, is a wonderfully rounded hero. His efforts to do the right thing put me in mind of a kind of canine Hamlet. With its calculating cats, philosophical foxes and gormless goldfish, there is much to enjoy about this book. Highly recommended
Gareth P Jones, author of 'The Thornthwaite Inheritance'
At its heart is an unwavering message of friendship, trust and loyalty; of the bond between child and animal; and of how we all need somewhere to call home
The Bookseller
Mulligan has created two flawed but overwhelmingly loveable characters in Tom and Spider and although there are plenty of real moments of darkness grappled within these pages, ultimately it’s a book that celebrates love in all its different, complicated forms, and the obstacles it can help us overcome
Anna James, SCOOP
An exciting adventure story that combines harrowing episodes with real warmth and heart, this is an irresistible tale of love, loyalty and reconciliation
School Library Journal
The story beautifully describes what it is like to feel ‘different’ and whether normal even exists, when everyone, in their own way, is unique
Raring2go!
A great read
BookTrust
Brilliant… a heartwarming tale about a dog and his boy
Bookwitch (blog)
Charming and irresistibly unique characters
The Sweet Review (blog)
A great portrayal of loyalty and familial love
The Bookbag
Dog neatly captures canine and childhood psychology… Youngsters pestering for a four-legged friend will love this book… It has a good moral heart
Entertainment Focus
Good, original writing… remains grippingly readable right through to the end
Books for Keeps
I loved this exciting, descriptive book and would recommend it to older readers who like animals
National Geographic Kids
Dog is such a lovely, quirky story about a fantasy animal adventure. I love the way it addressed the issue of bullying both in terms of the bullying endured by Tom, but also the bullying inflicted by Spider the dog. It is a perfect book for UKS2 about friendship and identity. I loved it!
Pleads Reads (blog)
Absorbing and thought-provoking
The Bay