Dog on a Train, The Special Delivery was Kate Pendergast’s debut book. It tells the story of a loyal and very well-mannered little dog who, when he realises something is amiss, sets out to solve the problem.

The dynamic opening spread uses five vertical panels to show a young girl dashing down the stairs in her house. She’s clearly late for something and grabs her striped hat and sneakers on the way out. But then, in her haste, she drops her hat in the hallway.

Right from this first spread, the vivid red highlights of the girl’s shoes and striped hat stand out against the mainly black-and-white drawings. This distinctive use of colour helps identify the small but key item – the hat – in all the subsequent spreads, and aids the telling of the story.

For the use of similar techniques in wordless books, see Eleanor Schick’s Making Friends, Giora Carmi’s A Circle of Friends and Suzy Lee’s Lines.

Our faithful friend soon spots the dropped hat, picks it up and chases after the girl with it. But she is already a long way down the street.

The dog is then delayed while waiting patiently for a car to drive over a zebra crossing. Meanwhile the girl disappears into the entrance of an underground station.

In the underground station, the dog – a capable reader of signs – sees one indicating that dogs have to be carried on the escalators. Ever resourceful (and law-abiding), he manages to persuade a friendly girl to help him.

As he cuddles fearfully into her shoulder, we get a wide view of the sweeping curves of the stairs and the vast size of the floor below. This gives a sense of scale and emphasises the difficulty of the task ahead of the little creature. He will need to be brave.

The dog heads to the platform but is disappointed once again when he sees the train pulling out.

Undaunted, he waits for the next train. Onboard, he takes his seat alongside the other passengers but, ever mindful of others’ needs, he politely offers his seat to an elderly lady.

When the dog finally disembarks he finds himself submerged in a massive crowd heading for the exit. Will he make it through?

Fortunately the crowd is not indifferent to his plight and several kind people lift him above their heads so he can escape.

Eventually the dog comes onto the huge concourse and sees his girl in the distance. With both legs flying off the ground he races towards her and gives her the hat seconds before she’s about to head through the barriers.

The dog’s mission has been achieved and he is rewarded with a well-deserved hug. He really has been a very Good Boy.

This is such a warmhearted tale, with the characterisation of the dog achieved through Prendergast’s careful drawing of his body movements and facial expressions, particularly the set of his ears, which are sometimes perked up and sometimes flat to his head.

The plot is easy to deduce from the images and there are plenty of discussion points for young readers: for instance how you negotiate a journey on the underground, the kindness of strangers, and what it means to be a true friend.

It’s a touching book and one that will surely be appreciated by dog lovers.

Kate Prendergast originally studied design at Middlesex University, and later took the MA course in Children’s Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art. Dog on a Train, The Special Delivery was long listed for the Klaus Flugge Prize and shortlisted for the British Book Design and Production Awards.

See also Kate Pendergast’s Dog on a Digger, The Tricky Incident.