Roy Is Not a Dog

Weasel the paperboy lives on Lilypod Lane where “everyone knew everything about everybody”. However, there is one thing Weasel does not know: who lives in the peculiar house at the end of the street? A bone-shaped sign over the door says “Roy”, and that, along with the fire hydrant-shaped hedges and other bone decor, has Weasel convinced that Roy is a dog. Weasel approaches the house and looks through the window where he is amazed to see a dog in a long coat frying an egg. He rushes back home to tell his friend Pam Pam who doubts his story, and so the two friends investigate. When Pam Pam walks by the house with her cat on a leash, Roy’s interest is piqued: his coat shudders and wiggles, and two more dogs leap out and chase after the cat. Roy is not a dog indeed; he is three dogs in a trenchcoat.

Though on the long side for a picture book, this story is a delight for every one of its 48 pages as Weasel attempts to solve the mystery of Roy. The slightly formal text suits the narrative, and the many botanical words and alliterations (“wilty wisteria”, “neglected nasturtiums”, “disappointed daffodils”) makes this a pleasure to read aloud. The writing brings the setting to life from the descriptions of a neighbour’s “stinky milk bottles” to the glare of another’s television.

The mixed media illustrations, done in “watercolour, gouache, a fried egg, collage, digital elements and a big top hat”, further the text’s descriptive language. The pictures are gorgeous and textured and full of colour, rewarding close attention with quirky details. Though we see the same setting and characters repeated from page to page, the variations in perspective keep the pictures fresh. The modernist wood-grain sided houses of Lilypod Lane are set against a lush background of cacti and other flora. The natural world features prominently from Pam Pam’s tree house to Roy’s flower-filed front yard.

Roy Is Not a Dog, a very charming and incredibly fun picture book about the importance of community, being true to oneself, and not making assumptions, is sure to appeal to children of all ages as well as their adults.