"Indoor adventuring when you can’t leave the house"
Stuck inside and feeling blue with nothing do to? No problem! With a dash of imagination, everyone’s home and outdoor objects can be transformed into the stuff of adventures, as toddler Tilly and puppy Toby discover in this charismatic picture book that wears its message on its sleeve - “all the fun of outside was already inside their minds”.
With Toby confined to the house on account of his poorly paw, and Tilly stuck inside due to a brewing storm, both of them are feeling pretty despondent. Toby paces back and forth by the door while Tilly gazes sadly outside at the “dark, gathering clouds,” until Toby brings her his lead and she’s struck by inspiration. Together they explore every nook and cranny of their house for “all their outdoor belongings,” discovering lots of toys they’d long forgotten about, from roller skates and balls, to bicycles and an old paddling pool. These objects are quickly transformed into the “most amazing, astounding, and spectacular Dog-Walking, Storm-Protecting Machine,” no less!
I loved the retro soft-but-scratchy illustrative style that put me in mind of the original 1970s Topsy and Tim books, and the book’s message of having adventures at home has resonance beyond its current COVID-19 relevance - it’s a perennial theme, here delivered through an upfront story with enduring visual charm.
