Roo is a very BIG dog! So big that he is clumsy. He’s uncoordinated, too big for human laps and always tripping over things.

His tail is as long as his paws are huge, all getting him into trouble.

And his mouth? When he smiles, he terrifies all the neighbourhood dogs, so no-one wants to be his friend.

Roo is big, but he is also sad. Until… A little pekingese arrives. Vladimir isn’t scared of Roo, and Roo is over the moon. Finally he has a friend!

One day at the park, it begins to rain, and rain and RAIN!

Roo finally has a chance to show Vladimir just how much he loves him. All the other dogs who had watched Roo from afar, realise how cool he really is, and soon he is not just Vladimir’s friend but the toast of his whole town.

I always love stories where the misunderstood character is viewed or finally seen by someone new in town, on the team, or in the classroom – whether they are animal or human.

Misconceptions of people (or animals) are sometimes hard to shift, especially from the inside. Roo and Vladimir takes this common problem in every day lives and heals it with a furry friendship.

Author/Illustrator – Minky Stapleton

Picture Book

(2022, Scholastic NZ, Dogs, Animals, Humour, Funny, NZ Author, Friendship, Hero, Flood, Too Big, Clumsy, Being Brave, Belonging, Cooperation, Differences, Fitting In, Friends)