This wonderful collection of short stories is all about Tess, A Very Special Dog, because she can communicate easily with other animals, even with humans. Tess is a Border Collie who lives with her owners Samantha and Bob on a farm in Devon. Their home at Hilltop Farm is surrounded by woodland, where Tess' friends live, including the family's cats Marmie, Flossie, and Belle. "During the day they would fight and scrap with each other, but at night they would cuddle up together in front of the fire, all fights forgotten," just as families should. The first story, "The Christmas Tail," explains how Tess saves the day for a small homeless kitty named Binky. "Tess smiled to herself. She had a feeling that, not only would she have three cats to contend with from now on, there also would be a fourth. Still, at least the kind, old dog could sleep peacefully by the warm fire. It had been a very long day." Tess has many other friends: Tipsy, the noisy dragonfly; Bayden, the kind old Shire horse; and Mr Rooster, with his verybright feathers, who accompanies Tess on her many adventures. Then there is Becky, the little girl in Tess' family who plays with Tess every day. Just wait to hear about their adventures! About the Author: First-time author L A Dearman lives in Bedfordshire, England. She works as an administrator for the Community Nursing Team. She loves spending time with her grandson and her three cats. "My lovely dog Max had to be put to sleep a couple of years ago, but Tess reminds me of what I think he would be like in the book."