Meet Pom Pom. He’s as cute as a dot and I’m quite sure you’ll just want to put him in your pocket and take him home.

Pom Pom Where Are You? by Natalie Jane Prior is the story of a little dog with a big sense of adventure. Pom Pom lives with his family in a tall building in Paris but he wants to see more of the world. One day, while walking with his owner Henriette, Pom Pom takes the opportunity to slip off his leash and head to the park where lots of other dogs are playing.

“Pom Pom had always wanted to play with the other dogs, but their games were not as much fun as he had expected. He was happy to be rescued by a passer-by.”

And so begins Pom Pom’s adventure through Paris. Pom Pom visits iconic sights such as Notre Dame, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower as well as a few thoroughly chic stop-offs for Parisian dogs-in-the-know -

“…he stopped in the Tuileries Gardens to pose for a magazine. Really, he was starting to become quite famous.”

Of course, while Pom Pom is gallivanting around town, Henriette is heartbroken – you spot her with her mother frantically looking for Pom Pom in the park, racing around the streets in search of him, pinning up ‘lost’ posters and sadly lighting a candle for him at Notre Dame cathedral. My favourite illustration features a plane flying past the Eiffel Tower, pulling a banner that says ‘Pom Pom, où es-tu?’

Thankfully, it’s the smell of freshly baked baguettes that guides Pom Pom home!

The book is illustrated by Cheryl Orsini, who has done a spectacular job in predominantly soft pastel colours and fluid, elongated shapes that give the people, crowds and traffic of Paris a certain energy. Pom Pom himself is adorable, excitable and clearly has a very waggy tail!

I have a soft spot for cute little dogs taking charge of Paris ever since I came across Claude and Pom Pom fits the bill for younger readers, aged three and over.

Find Pom Pom Where Are You? online at Readings.