Kids into books: The Hundred and One Dalmatians

Author: Dodie Smith

Illustrators: Janet and Anne Grahame-Johnstone

Publisher: Mammoth, $16.95

Age Group: 8-11 years


Mr Dearly, who had an office in the City, was particularly good at arithmetic. Many people called him a wizard of finance - which is not the same thing as a wizard of magic, though sometimes fairly similar.

At the time when this story starts he was rather unusually rich for a rather unusual reason. He had done the Government a great service (something to do with getting rid of the National Debt) and, as a reward, had been let off his Income Tax for life.

Also the Government had lent him a small house on the Outer Circle of Regent's Park - just the right house for a man with a wife and dogs.

Before their marriages, Mr Dearly and Pongo had lived in a bachelor flat, where they were looked after by Mr Dearly's old nurse, Nanny Butler.

Mrs Dearly and Missis had also lived in a bachelor flat (there are no such things as spinster flats) where they were looked after by Mrs Dearly's old nurse, Nanny Cook.