What’s That in Dog Years?
Winner of the Big Book Award 2020.
About the book:
Gizmo has been my best friend since the day I was born – he’s always been around. But now they’re telling me he might not always be around which completely sucks. I’m determined that me and Gizmo will have lots more fun and adventures before he goes – I mean, he loves parties, deserves pampering, and needs a break by the seaside. And as for that old saying about how you can’t teach an old dog new tricks – it’s true, you really can’t! Gizmo’s bucket list is up and running – unlike Gizmo who is totally lazy and demanding to be carried!
Gizmo’s bucket list is up and running – unlike Gizmo who is totally lazy and demanding to be carried . . .
All the laugh-out-loud humour you’d expect from a Ben Davis book but with added heart and poignancy . . . and a four-legged character you’ll fall in love with!
Take a look at these short film pieces as part of the Big Book Award 2020 project:
Published by Oxford University Press
Take a look at these short films about the author and the book, poetry and creative writing:
About the author:
Ben Davis is an author currently living and working in Staffordshire with his wife, son, and wimpy dog. Ben Davis writes funny books for older children and teenagers including the Joe Cowley series, My Embarrassing Dad’s Gone Viral and Make Me Awesome. When he’s not writing, he regularly visits schools and leads creative writing workshops.
About the illustrator:
Julia Christians received her diploma in communications design at the University of Art in Brunswick.
After graduation she started working as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator. She lives in the deep dark forest of the Harz Mountains, Germany with her husband, her son and a pack of dogs.
73 responses to “What’s That in Dog Years?”
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I found What’s That in Dog Years funny and sad. I liked it but it was confusing. I would recommend it to my friends.
This book was a bit funny but it was mostly quite sad.
I really think What’s That in Dog Years is funny
#AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME
I enjoyed this book so much due to several factors. a) it’s really light-hearted but also quite sad. b) the the fact that the dog has such a good companionship with the owner.
It was really sad and funny.
I enjoyed this book. It was sad when Gizmo felt sick at the star but is got better as it went along.
I think your book is amazing because I love dogs and Gizmo is a dog and he adores jammy dodgers.
I absolutely LOVED What’s That In Dog Years although when Gizmo died i almost cried.
I liked this book but I found It too sad at points.
I really enjoyed this book because it is funny and sweet, Gizmo made me laugh through out the whole book.
I was laughing my head off. Recommend to all fun lovers. Hey Ben Davis…keep making AWESOME books.
I loved this book, it made me a bit emotional at the end but I can tell you put a lot of effort into this.
Amazing book 100% my favourite one I have read I recommend it to any one that likes a very sad ,but funny book.
This is a beautiful book. It is very emotional when Gizmo the wonder dog died. I cried quite a few times. My favourite character was definitely Gizmo because he is very energetic until he gets too old. I rate this book 9 and a half out of ten.
This is a sad book but has a happy ending. I liked the name of the dog. Gizmo. Ethan and Tyler are the bullies. I don’t like them. George is the good guy and the dog’s owner. I recommend this book to anyone.
I loved What’s That In Dog Years. The bit when Gizmo’s on his last days of life and they try to fill his bucket list like going to the beach, eating and ice cream together. I recommend this book to everyone who likes a happy but sad book!
I really enjoyed reading What’s That in Dog Years? because it’s a mix of sadness and fun. My favourite part was when Gizmo goes for a break by the seaside and eats an ice cream. I loved this book and recommend it to people who like comedy and people who like sad books.
I loved What’s That in Dog Years? It was so funny and intriguing, it was sad at the end, and I cried a little bit, but that didn’t ruin the book. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it.
What’s That In Dog Years is my favourite book because the main character is so relatable and the story is so heartfelt. The end is really sad but I think the author wrapped it up really well.
This is a great book. As soon as I read the blurb I was immediately hooked to the book. My favourite character is Gizmo because he always is happy even on the brink of death. The owner of Gizmo is going to get himself into a lot of trouble…
I really liked What’s That in Dog Years? It was funny but also sad at the end. When I was reading the book I really liked how you met new characters along the way and that Gizmo had part of the book for his stories and views. I also liked the story line, it was exciting, funny and it made you feel like you were there. I’ve really liked reading this book and its my favourite so far!
I loved reading What’s That in Dog Years? It was cool, funny and sad, right up my street! I’ve lost a dog before so I could relate to the story in lots of different ways, and what Gizmo was thinking and doing reminded me of my own dogs. I think the idea was really creative and the story line was ace! This was my favourite out of all the Bookfest books I’ve read. I also like the style of the artwork. Another thing I like about the book is how it could make you giggle, but also make you cry.
I think that What’s That in Dog Years? by Ben Davis was a great book, jam-packed with amazing events to read about. I really enjoyed reading it and it is one of my favourite books out of the Bookfest selection, but I do have one nit pick. George’s language made it a bit difficult for me to read but that is a personal opinion.
I love your books . Keep up the good work . I would love to see more :] .
This is an emotion twisting book, that is full of surprises and adventure. There is defianitely lots of empathy for the character. This book would definitely be a 10/10.
I love this book I would read it over and over again. This book is cute and sad. It is cute because Gizmo has been George’s best friend since he was born and sad because it says Gizmo hasn’t got much time left to live. 🙁
I liked this book because it is funny , sad and has a good storyline. Out of all of the books, this one is my favourite. My favourite part is when Gizmo bites the kidnapper and they get set free. The ending is sad, but thankfully Gizmo finishes his bucket list. I would rate this book a 9.5/10.
Great book
Gizmo is a great dog, Gizmo is totally lazy in the book and demanding to be carried everywhere. This is a great book because it is full of happiness, sadness and joy for the people who read it .
What’s that in dog years
I love this book because your always saying to yourself What’s going to happen next? This happens because the dog, Gizmo and has a bucket list to complete before he passes away. Some of the things that he wants to do is…
Get pampered.
Clime the highest mountain in his town.
Eat ice cream.
Some bits are very funny and some bits are sad.
I like this book because it is a little upsetting and it is a beautiful story about a boy called Eric and his Dog called Gizmo.
One part of the story that I enjoyed is the part where Eric took his Dog Gizmo to be pampered and when he called Gizmo over to the beach and they both have an ice cream while looking out to the ocean. My favourite character is Gizmo because he is very calm and he has his own bucket list for what he wants to do before he dies. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy the upsetting part of a story but also enjoy the funny parts of a story. This is a sad story because Gizmo is a very old dog and he doesn’t like to walk around and Eric has to take him everywhere in his arms.
I think that What’s That in Dog Years is a really good book because I liked the fact that George liked to think that just thought he was a super hero while Matt thought he was really cool with the Mandem group (Tyler and Ethan). And Gizmo had a bucket list to do because he was 14 and 72 in dog years. My favourite part of the story was when George went to a party with Gizmo and then mat and George got into an argument and Matt tried fighting George while everyone was chanting fight. This was my favourite part because it was kind of tense. I would recommend this to people who like reading adventurous stories. If I were rating this it would be 5 stars.
This a adventurous story about a dog and a boy, it’s quite sad but funny at some parts of the book. My favourite part is when they meet the robbers as the is a very funny moment.
I really enjoyed this book because it is extremely funny but sad at the same time. My favourite part was when Gizmo went to the dog show because George did … well, the results were really shocking!
A brilliant book, it is funny but very sad. I found it very interesting because it had two points of view the boy and the dog.
This book is a fun and sad story of a boy and his dog, be prepared for action, fun and a heartwarming story full of exciting adventures.Many people will probably enjoy this book the same as I did as it is sad and tragic tale of laughter and happiness 10/10 for me.
I love this book because it’s hilarious but sad at some bits I didn’t expect that ending at all
I think this was my FAVOURITE book out of all the ones I’ve read. It was really exciting and funny! It was really heartwarming and I loved how determined George was to get to Golden Beach and make sure Gizmo can do everything he can before he dies. I found it really funny and happy and exciting at times but really sad at others. I really enjoyed how Gizmo wrote in the book as well as George. I also like how it was written like an actual kid wrote it. I recommend this book to dog lovers. I would rate this book a 10/10! I really didn’t want the adventures with Gizmo to end. I just wanted to keep reading! I love dogs so this book was perfect for me.
Whats That In Dog Years is a fantastic read- even though I wish it was much, much longer. It really suprised me when i was reading it: a loving dog, a boy called Gorge, a fake friend called Matt, divorced parents and some nasty bullies. I have a dog so I understood the book and plot really well, about wanting to back somewhere as a family that we all enjoyed, along with the dog. I also really like the fact that Gimzo gets his own say once in a while. The illustrations that were drawn by Julia Christians were really detailed and cute in their own way. The way Gimzo is drawn gives space for imagination- what colour is his fur, ect. I reccomend this for dog lovers.
Very interesting and enticing 100% made me want to read more.Gizmo is a very daring and understanding dog.I loved this book because everything in the book made me feel like it is all true it tells us about the life of a dog and his owner (a young boy)and the life that they are living together it is truly something that young readers would enjoy and find hilarious.Older children would understand this a lot more though because it is exactly the same as the life we are living today.It just proves that life can be fun as long as you make it that way.Most of my class mates that have read this book before me have been recommending it to me quite a lot so i just gave up, took the book and read it,and trust me they weren’t wrong at all.
What’s That In Dog Years by Ben Davis is an amazing book. I love how resilient George is to get to the Golden Beach with Gizmo. Although the book is very sad (it made me cry while reading it at home) I still really loved the book it was probably my favourite book out of all of them so far.I highly recommend this book to all of you i am sure you will love it. The book is very difficult to read because how sad it is. Please read this book
if you read this book you will be amazed with the quality! It’s amazing and it’s exciting to read and kept me on my toes so I read it fast!
It was really interesting and inspiring and i really loved the ending. It was so creative and loved it from start to finish, it is a must read.
I really loved this book and the author is great it has really good vocabulary in the book a little sad but awesome at the same time it’s a really good book so read it.
The book was interesting, I loved all of it and I can’t wait to see what is next. There is so much effect to the story at the end.
I really enjoy this book and how resilient George is to get the money to get to Golden Beach with Gizmo.
I think that Whats That In Dog Years is great I love that Gizmo’s favorite treat is Jammie Dodgers. I love dogs so I think that it is awsome
It is a bit sad but I love it
What’s That in Dog Years is quite sad but I would recommend it to dog lovers
This book is very calm and emotional in some bits it’s very fun sometimes and I would highly recommend to 8+
This book is a bit sad but I love it
A brilliant book with an exciting plot line and a heartwarming tale of fun adventures with a sad ending but it makes it sound so amazing to be in the place you have dreamed to be in your entire life.
I liked that him and the dog were best friends and they were really close friends and they have names for each other. They also had a group but the bullies did not want to tell his mean group about it . The dog was a super, cool and funny . But what I didn’t like about it is when the dog … (spoiler). By the way the dog was called Gizmo – a cool dog! It was sad because they were best friends and the poor boy had just lost his best friend . I would score it 10 out of 10 .
My favourite book is What’s that in Dog Years? If you like dogs you should read this book. It might be sad but later it turns into adventures and fun. Also get ready for the end!
My favourite character is Gizmo because he is funny and embarrassing. My favourite part was when Matt and Gizmo were making impressions of their teachers. I would rate it 9/10
It was such a good book! It almost made me cry. It all seemed real to me. I loved Gizmo and how funny he was. I highly recommend it. I give it 10/10 because when I got near the end it really made me feel like I would cry.
What’s that in Dog Years?is a book about an old dog called Gizmo, who’s time is ticking and his owner, George, wants to make the most of that time.
I really liked the story because it was very nice and wholesome. Also, Gizmo’s silly antics are exceedingly funny and cute at the same time. Do NOT read this in public as you might look a bit silly crying for apparently no reason.
What’s That In Dog Years is good. I love dogs so that is why I picked it. It turned out to be a good book to read, I would recommend it to people who like dogs and a bit of sadness .
I really liked this book as it was very adventurous. I would recommend this book to people who are dog lovers and into adventure. It also felt quite emotional from the text.
I feel that this book is very emotional. The way the characters are described and the bond between them makes you feel really sad when things happen to the characters! When I finished the book, I was half crying . You were able to feel lots of different feelings however, there was one that stood out the most and that was hurtfulness!
WOW! This book is phenomenal, but at moments very heartbreaking. Also, it is very addictive and you never want to put the book down. Overall, this book is amazing. Well done, Ben Davis.
This book is amazing. I found it hard to put it down.
“What’s that in dog years?” is a really good book you can’t put down. It is heartbreaking at some parts so you’re probably going to let a tear out or two.
‘What’s that in dog years?’ is really funny but very sad at parts. My favourite bit is when Gizmo poos in Matt’s shoe.
‘What’s That in Dog Years’ is an amazing read with adventure on every page! Be ready for a real mix of emotions as you make your way through this wonderful story; you will definitely have eyes full of tears by the time you have finished it. A really lovely book that I recommend for all.
‘What’s That in Dog Years’ in an amazing read with adventure on every page! Be ready for a real mix of emotions as you make your way through this wonderful story; you will definitely have eyes full of tears by the time you have finished it. A really lovely book that I recommend for all.
I found ‘What’s That in Dog Years?’ very funny but also sad at times. This book certainly has a soft side, which will almost definitely have you shedding a tear or two at some parts. I recommend everyone reads this heart-warming story.
What’s That in Dog Years? Is a happy/sad book that will make you laugh and cry. I really lovely book, I enjoyed it very much.
this book was really good because it was very enjoyable and it was fun to read and also it was incredibly sad in some of the parts.
I thought it was a brilliant story of the relationship between boy and dog. I thought the opening chapter was hooking and the ending chapter made me cry buckets.
I thought that I would never be able to put it down
The storyline was amazing. It blew my head off.