2017 is a year of celebration for beloved author and illustrator, Shirley Hughes. The summer sees her celebrating her 90th birthday and this year is also the 40th anniversary of her classic children’s book, ‘Dogger.’

‘Alfie and Dad,’ is a beautiful collection of stories, perfect to kick off this special year.

This book is full of stories all about  the special relationship between Alfie and his Dad.  Dad works very hard during the week, but at the weekends he always thinks of lots of lovely things for them to do together.

Alfie’s Dad does all the things a good dad should do: hunting for strange creatures hiding under the bed; tracking down precious lost toys; and solving the mysteries surrounding missing pets. All the while teaching Alfie how to navigate life and have lots of fun at the same time.

I was thrilled to be asked to review  this book as I have extremely fond and nostalgic memories of reading the Alfie stories with my mum when I was little. I always hoped that Shirley Hughes’ cleverly observed and warm tales would hold my children in the same thrall.  I am very pleased to say that this book did – even my eight-year-old snuck in under the blanket to listen when I was reading to my youngest son. A rare and precious occurrence.

Illustrated and told with all the detail and charm we’ve come to expect from Shirley Hughes’ work, this book would make a beautiful Fathers’ Day gift or present for a young reader.

Gorgeous!

Library Girl.

*Many thanks to Bodley Head for sending me a copy of this book to review*