This is an absolutely gorgeous, heart-warming and courageous tale of a young sheepdog puppy who is too young to join her master and her mum out on the hill, particularly when it's snowing. But when they don't return from the hill it's up to Collywobble to rescue them and get the sheep to safety. The author’s touching story is beautifully complemented by Petra Brown’s artwork. Her feel for the Welsh landscape and her affinity with animals makes this a perfect picture book for little ones (and their mums and dads) to treasure.
When Farmer Joe's sheepdog Bess, has seven pups, three are big and strong, three are good enough, but one's the most shivery, wobbly little scrap you're ever likely to see. Joe and Bess go to fetch the sheep down from the snowy mountain, but it's getting dark and they're still not back. Will Collywobble be brave enough to try and find them? Collywobble is the smallest puppy in the litter but he's the one who rescues his family in the snow.
Malachy Doyle is the author of Digger and Lew, Big Pig, Teddybear Blue, Antonio on the Other Side of the World, Getting Smaller and Too Noisy, illustrated by Ed Vere.
His first teenage novel, Georgie, won the Tir na n-Og prize and his picture book, Cow, won an English Association Award for non-fiction. He also won the 2002 White Raven Award for Hungry! Hungry! He lives with his family (and his cat, dog, ducks and hens) in County Donegal, Ireland.