Bill Richardson, CBC Radio host and former children's librarian, brings his fertile mind to the children's picture book with Sally Dog Little (Annick $17.95). The Littles, a formal sort of family, hold high expectations for their new pet. "Proper dogs,"; says Papa, "never bark for no good reason."; So when a ghost pirate and his ghost dog show up, yet remain invisible to the family, Sally Dog Little goes along with their plan to dig up long-buried treasure in the back yard. By morning the pirate duo are gone as she'd hoped and no evidence remains of the midnight goings-on. Except for one little thing. Richardson's previous book for kids, the fantasy novel After Hamelin, carried on where the Pied Piper story left off. 1-55037-759-0 (2003)

[Spring 2003 BCBW]