- You are my favorite of all toddler books - and a favorite of both of my toddlers as well. Dougal is the story of an Australian bear who is neglected by his owner because he is not new and clean and perfect like the other toys in the house. He is thrown into the "bin" and hauled off to the garbage dump, where he's rescued by one of the workers. He is soon joined by Bumble the Bee and together, they rule the dump. They even become friends with the guys who work there - lunching on vegemite sandwiches and iced coffees with the men and going out with them after work to play pool and drink ginger beer. Call me immature but there's something hilariously subversive about stuffed animals suffering from hang-overs that I just can't get enough of.
On its own, Dougal is a delightful tale of cast-offs finding true happiness and the reminder that "Sometimes, bad things happen so that good things can happen. You just have to make the best of it." The fun writing-style and whimsical use of real photos though are what make this book unique and a true delight.
A quick internet search indicates that this is Matt Dray's only book which is a shame because it's so fantastic. Matt, if you're out there, do us parents a favor and write another!
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