Courtney is the dog that nobody wants, but the children think he's lovely. When they take him home, their parents are very disappointed?he's just an old mongrel. But Courtney turns out to be a wonder-dog who can cook, juggle, and even play the violin.

John Burningham is one of the most prestigious and well-loved illustrators working in the children's book field today. Trained at the Central School of Art, his first picture book, Borka was published in 1963. He has won the Kate Greenaway Award twice for Borka and Mr Gumpy's Outing, and has enjoyed a distinguished career spanning over 45 years.