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


"Wouldn't a black dress, with a nice, frilly apron be better?" suggested Mrs Dearly - rather nervously, because Nanny Butler had never been her Nanny.

"You can't be a butler without trousers," said Nanny Butler, firmly.

"But I'll get a frilly apron tomorrow. It will add a note of originality." It did.

The Nannies said they no longer expected to be called Nanny, and were now prepared to be called by their surnames, in the correct way. But though you can call a cook 'Cook', the one thing you cannot call a butler is 'Butler', so in the end both Nannies were just called 'Nanny, darling', as they always had been.

After the dogs and the Dearlys had been back from their honeymoons for several happy weeks, something even happier happened. Mrs Dearly took Pongo and Missis across the park to St. John's Wood, where they called on their good friend, the Splendid Veterinary Surgeon.

She came back with the wonderful news that the Pongos were shortly to become parents. Puppies were due in a month.