Book excerpt: A rollicking rhyming picture book from bestselling author Julia Donaldson about a dog who uses her amazing sense of smell to solve mysteries. Written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by the multi-talented illustrator and print-maker Sara Ogilvie, The Detective Dog is a fast-paced celebration of books, reading, libraries and the relationship between a little boy and his rather special dog. This book was released on with total page 0 pages. Nells ever-sniffing nose is always hard at work, so when the books at her owner Peters school have disappeared one morning, Detective Dog Nell is ready to. Books about dinosaurs, books about space and even books about dogs – Nell loves them all! But one day Peter and Nell arrive at school to find all the books have disappeared! Who could have taken them, and why? Luckily, Detective Dog Nell, with help from the whole class, is ready to sniff out the thief! When she’s not cracking cases, Nell goes to school with Peter and listens to the children read. Her ever-sniffing nose is always hard at work solving mysteries and finding all Peter’s lost toys. Peter’s dog Nell has an amazing sense of smell. She was known far and wide as Detective Dog Nell.

There once was a dog with a keen sense of smell. Sara lives in Newcastle upon Tyne.When a crime needs solving, there’s only one dog for the job! Join Nell the Detective and help solve the mystery of the missing books. She is inspired by many things including second-hand bookshops, old wives tales and trying to spell sounds. In addition to working on her picture books, Sara lectures in Illustration and Graphic Design at Northumbria University and continues to create work that is exhibited worldwide. The first picture book that she illustrated, Dogs Don't Do Ballet, was also shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize. Sara Ogilvie is an award-winning illustrator and printmaker who won the 2011 Booktrust Best New Illustrator Award.

Julia and her husband Malcolm divide their time between Sussex and Edinburgh. Julia also writes fiction as well as poems, plays and songs and her brilliant live children's shows are always in demand. Her books include What the Ladybird Heard, What the Ladybird Heard Next, Tyrannosaurus Drip and the modern classic The Gruffalo, which has sold over 13.5 million copies worldwide and has been translated into over seventy languages.

Julia Donaldson is the outrageously talented, prize-winning author of the world's best-loved picture books, and was the 2011-2013 UK Children's Laureate.

The detective dog book