Sammy and the Stolen Paintings – at a glance
The School Reading Lists’ five word review: catacombs, whiffy bottom, Jammie Dodgers.
Children’s book title: Sammy and the Stolen Paintings.
Children’s author: Charlie P. Brooks.
Children’s illustrator: Steve May.
Genre: Children’s fiction, mystery.
Published by: HarperCollins Children’s Books.
ISBN: 9780008597511.
Recommended for children aged: 7-9 year-olds.
First published: Paperback January 2025.
This children’s book is ideal for: children who enjoy funny and fast-paced mystery.
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Our review:
Catacombs, whiffy bottom music, giant Jammie Dodgers, and partying sheep – Sammy and the Stolen Paintings is an adventure full of poo humour that’s sure to make you laugh and keep you reading.
Sammy is a telepathic English Setterpoo sniffer dog with a busy nose that stirs up some fun descriptions, such as “trumping away smells delicious.” Sammy’s nose tells her that something isn’t right when a friend has a painting restored. While investigating, Sammy is dognapped, and her owners, Beanie and Harry, set off to rescue her. The rescue mission and crime-solving take them from England to Paris and back again.
The chapters are short, and the text is easy to read, with little touches such as BHF (Best Human Friend), making it well-suited for 7- to 10-year-olds. There are the occasional trickier words, like discombobulated, which are fun and help children expand their vocabulary. Some chapters are presented as Beanie’s handwritten diary entries, which help the reader connect with her character.
I like that the stolen painting is a Bruegel—this adds a touch of education to the fun, as children may be inspired to research Bruegel’s peasant and winter scenes from the 1500s. The main characters are well thought out and quirky, but there are also plenty of entertaining side characters with amusing names, such as Mogpuss. The illustrations are humorous and help bring the wacky characters to life.
Sammy and the Stolen Paintings is an amusing read for children who enjoy detective stories, dogs, or simply have a great sense of humour.
Many thanks to HarperCollins Children’s Books for the review copy.
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