View source for Charlie is My Darling by Malachy Doyle and Stephen Lambert

{{infobox2 
|title= Charlie is My Darling
|author= Malachy Doyle and Stephen Lambert 
|reviewer= Jo Heffer
|genre=For Sharing 
|summary= A small boy discovers a little white dog looking longingly out of his mistress's window. Before long, he has made friends with  Charlie who is the darling of his mistress Ellen Adams.  He takes Charlie to the park where he soon discovers that a little dog can cause big trouble.
|rating=4.5 
|buy= Yes
|borrow= Yes
|pages=32 
|publisher= Orchard
|date= April 2009
|isbn=978-1846167973 
|aznuk=1846167973
|aznus=1843628112
|cover=1846167973
}}

''Charlie is my Darling'' is a really lovely book to share with young children which tells a touching story of an unlikely friendship. The narrator of the story is a young boy who is telling what happened when he met and made friends with Charlie. Charlie is actually a small white dog who lives with his elderly owner Ellen Adams. Because she is old and frail she does not get out much which means, of course, that Charlie does not get out much either. This is a shame because as we learn later in the story he is just a dog ''who likes to run, who likes to play, who likes to paddle, likes to breathe fresh air, who likes to race back home to Ellen Adams.''

The boy first sets eyes on Charlie as he is looking longingly out of the window of Ellen Adams' house. He feels he has no choice but to knock on the door and when he finds out that the old lady can't get about much, he offers to take Charlie to the park. However, when he gets there there is mayhem as Charlie slips his lead and runs! He goes in the lake and shakes himself all over someone trying to read their paper; he chases a rabbit and finally he is gone. The poor little boy is very worried about telling Ellen Adams but when he returns to the house Charlie is there looking out of the window! The boy is not too cross because he realises that Charlie is just doing what all dogs love to do, so he comes back again but this time takes Ellen Adams to the park as well. At the end on the story he reflects on the fact that he has two new friends - one that is young and fast and yappy and the other that is old and slow and happy - and he is very glad that they are both his friends!

I read this book with my two daughters (aged five and three) who both really enjoyed the simple but moving storyline. It is the type of story that young children can easily relate to and the way that it is told through the eyes of the young boy adds to its effectiveness. The words are written in such a way that it does really sound like a child is talking to you. This is particularly true with the references to the old lady who is always called by both her names which is very typical of what a small child would do. There is also a lot of repetition in the words which emphasises the young boy's thought and emotions very well. The author very cleverly captures the enjoyment of a child finding a new friend and the despair of thinking he has lost him. The ending, where he talks about how happy he is to have made these two unexpected friends, is very moving and demonstrates how friends are very important.

The pictures in this book are captivating in their simplicity. There is much to talk about in every picture though, not least the fact that Ellen Adams lives in a pink house which was an instant hit with my two daughters. When the pictures show Charlie running riot in the park we see lots of pictures of him all over the place and my youngest daughter enjoys tracing his somewhat disastrous journey with her finger. Some of the illustrations include lots of details whereas others focus on one thing. I like this because it adds variety as you turn the pages. My daughters both enjoy looking at the pages and these add to their enjoyment of the whole story.

Overall this is an excellent book to share with young children because they will relate to both the ideas and the characters. It also shows that friends may appear at the most unlikely of times but they are always to be treasured, both young or old or even canine! I'm sure this is a book that most children will love and will want it read to them many times!

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag.

If this book appeals to your child they will probably enjoy [[The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers]].

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