Duke is a big, brash golden retriever with a fearsome bark. Brody is a small, timid dog with a high-pitched bark. When they first meet they don’t get on at all. In fact, Duke is outright unkind to Brody, chasing him around their garden and trying to bite him. It’s a brave decision by author Melody A. Cooper to introduce this element of bullying so early in her story. MEET DUKE AND BRODY! feels suitable for toddler-aged children and up, and at first, it’s slightly jarring to see this unsavory behavior in a book for children so young. However, what follows is an endearing story of forgiveness and friendship, as Duke changes his ways and befriends Brody. Before long the bigger dog is protecting his smaller buddy, guarding him as he sleeps, and playing with him in a far gentler manner.
This is, therefore, a children’s book with a good moral story at its heart. Despite Duke’s initially unpleasant and aggressive conduct towards Brody, he forgives his former foe and allows a sweet friendship to develop. The lessons here, that holding a grudge doesn’t pay, and that it’s good to be kind, are ones that every young child should be exposed to. Another big success here is the illustration, also done by Cooper. The artwork really complements Cooper’s writing, with vibrant colors and a slightly retro feel. The faces of the dogs in particular display and capture a huge range of emotion, from fear and aggression to love and affection. Brody’s beaming smile as he’s hugged by Duke is particularly endearing.
If there is a criticism it is that there’s no real sense of adventure to the story. Once Duke and Brody have bonded and their troubled past has been put behind them, it feels as if they should undertake a journey of some kind. True, they go for walks around their neighborhood and play together in their garden, but having overcome their earlier differences, it does feel like they never really get to shine as a double act in any sort of exciting way. That is, of course, because the central theme of the story is one of friendship and forgiveness, and that’s no bad thing, particularly when it is done as tenderly as it is in MEET DUKE AND BRODY!
After a rocky start, two dogs overcome their differences and soon become inseparable in Melody A. Cooper’s charming and beautifully illustrated tale of doggy friendship in MEET DUKE AND BRODY!
~Joseph Sharratt for IndieReader