Buffy: An Adventure Story by Bob Graham

Buffy is an assistant to Brillo the Magician but he is not famous. In fact, we see his home is a cardboard box outside the theatre and on the poster advertising the show Buffy's name appears in tiny writing right at the bottom. The trouble is Buffy is becoming more popular than Brillo and so one night he is kicked out into the rain. Yes, it is pure jealousy.

Bookseller blurb: This is an enchanting adventure story about a performing dog. Buffy is a performing dog with HUGE talents. He can play the harmonica, tap-dance and do magic tricks. But when he outshines his master the magician, Buffy is in the doghouse. Kicked out onto the street to fend for himself, Buffy has the blues...until sweet Mary Kelly bursts into his life like a fanfare from Heaven! At last, after all his wanderings, he finds someone who really appreciates his extraordinary talents.

I have been talking about a few Bob Graham books this month because I discovered there are titles I previously had not mentioned here but should have. Buffy was published in 1999, and I well remember reading it to groups of students in my former school library when Buffy was shortlist by the CBCA in 2000 for their Picture Book of the Year award. That copy was a larger format hard cover - mine now is a small format paperback. Sadly, Buffy is now out of print but I am sure you will find a copy in most school libraries here in Australia. In the US Buffy is called Benny.

If you are familiar with Bob Graham books you will recognise the logo on this truck - YES, it is from Max. In fact, there are references to Max in so many other Bob Graham books (like a story within a story) - such as in Ellie's Dragon when Ellie goes to the movies and on the big screen, we see Max. This idea builds on from an earlier one seen in Tales from the Waterhole, where Morris and Billy are seen watching Max on their television. This symbol is also on a tanker truck in Home in the Rain because that is the brand of the petrol station and that same tanker is also seen in A Bus called Heaven.

Companion books:

Three

Mutt Dog

Finding You