Sleepy Pendoodle by Malachy Doyle and illustrated by Julie Vivas, paperback picture book, published by Walker Books Ltd in 2002.

A little girl finds a lost and lonely pup one day and takes him home. She feeds him and pets him, but he doesn’t open his eyes, so she goes to to uncle for some advice.

I first came across Sleepy Pendoodle when my eldest child was a toddler. She fell in love with this story and asked for it at the library almost every visit, until I bought a copy so we could read it whenever she liked. It has remained a favourite, and is now well loved by all of my children. It is one of my favourites too, and I have, so far, not tired of reading it aloud.

The story is funny and engaging, with lyrical text, perfect for reading out loud. My kids love the rhymes she says trying to get the pup to open his eyes! I love how she gets it mixed up, it always makes me smile. I think my favourite bit is when she calls the pup “sloppy popwaddle”.

And the illustrations are lovely; bright, vivacious and unforgettable. The pup is so cute and I love the girl’s hair and outfit. My second daughter often asked for ‘Pendoodle hair’ for preschool!

Sleepy Pendoodle is a gorgeous book that should be in every child’s home library. It is wonderful to share with toddlers, preschoolers and primary school children. My fourth grader still gets her dose of Sleepy Pendoodle reading to her younger siblings!