The Little Mistake

Rose goes out to the barn to help her mum watch over their sheepdog Trix, who is giving birth to puppies. But instead of a litter of prize-winning sheepdog puppies, Trix has three stillborn pups and one ‘little mistake’ – a big, fluffy puppy that definitely isn’t the result of her mating with the local collie Bullet.

Rose remembers the same phrase being applied to her once, when her mum was talking about Rose as a baby being ‘our little mistake’ – what does it mean? Rose isn’t sure she likes the idea of being a mistake at all. As the new puppy grows, it becomes clear that he might not be a great sheepdog – but Puppy might be a hero in his own way, after all. And Rose learns that not all mistakes are bad.

Nicola Davies has created another brilliant wildlife story for young readers in this part of a series of six beautifully illustrated books with Cathy Fisher about growing up in the countryside. The story is ideal for upper primary readers, and, as ever, mixes a strong emotional connection with animals with fascinating detail.