Plumdog by Emma Chichester Clark

Title: Plumdog
Author: Emma Chichester Clark
Genre: Graphic Novel
Publisher: Jonathan Cape (2nd October 2014)
Blurb:

Hello. My name is Plum and I’m a whoosell – that’s whippet mixed with Jack Russell and poodle. I especially like swimming, leaping, catching and croissants, and my favourite fragrance is fox poo. I live with Emma, an illustrator, and Rupert. My sister, Liffey, lives nearby.

Over the last year I’ve been keeping a diary. Emma has helped with the pictures, but the words are all mine.

Since 2012 Emma Chichester Clark has been delighting thousands of followers with her blog Plumdog, which records the day-to-day life of Plum, her dog, in Plum’s own words and Emma’s irresistible illustrations. This book collects Plum’s best pages in book form. It will bring cries of delighted recognition from anyone who has ever owned a dog and, dare one say it, charm the pants off even those who strongly prefer cats.

Rating: **** (4 stars)
Review:

PLUMDOG is a graphic novel by Emma Chichester Clark which records a year in the life of her dog Plum. The novel is narrated by Plum and starts on January 1st with a list of New Year resolutions and ends on December 31st. Emma provides beautiful illustrations to accompany Plum’s narrative.

I picked up PLUMDOG on a whim whilst I was on holiday in Cornwall. The starkness of the cover caught my eye, and then the blurb really sold it to me – especially the line “my favourite fragrance is fox poo”. I can kind of relate to that, having had a dog who loved the smell of deer poo and insisted on rolling in it given half a chance. I went into this book blind, never having read any of Clark’s other books or her blog.

I quite enjoyed following Plum’s journey through the year, and I liked the fact that there isn’t a page for every day – just the ones that are important. Clark does a great job in giving Plum a voice, and letting us see the world through her eyes. Clark’s illustrations are beautiful. They really add to the narrative of the book, and help to bring Plum and her world to life. The illustrations also brilliantly show not only how Plum looks, but they also give us a real sense of her character – which is quite mischievous.

If you are a dog lover, or if you had a dog as a pet, and enjoy graphic novels – or are looking to give them a try – then I recommend this book. Clark does a brilliant job capturing the life of her dog Plum, providing a fun, enjoyable, and quick read.