Our latest favourite has to be "Cairy" aka Hairy Maclary From Donaldson's Dairy. Be warned though, even though this story ends with a cute little dog curled up in bed, it is NOT a bedtime story - especially if you read it with a lot of oompf - and how could you not given its ending? 
It starts with Hairy Maclary going for a walk down his street, collecting on his way Hercules Morse as big as a horse, Bottomley Potts covered in spots, Muffin McLay like a bundle of hay, Bitzer Maloney all skinny and bony and Schnitzel von Krumm with the very low tum. That's Bitzer to the right and Muffin McLay below.
They're all out enjoying their walk when they encounter Scarface Claw the toughest tom in town who scares the living daylights out of them such that they turn around and hurtle home. I can't help but read this page with noisy bluff and bluster - "Off with a yowl and a wail and a howl, went Schnitzel von Krumm with the very low tum, Bitzer Maloney all skinny and bony, Muffin Mclaylike a bundle of hay..." and through the list a scampering dogs we go!
Benji loves it! And then it takes about half an hour for him to settle down and get to sleep. Which is a bit annoying but far be it from me to tell him he can't read the book he wants to read the most. And of course to the right we have Schnitzel von Krumm departing his salubrious surrounds...There is a whole series of Hairy Maclary books. I still have my Readers' Feast voucher, and it's work Friday tomorrow, so I will nick down there at lunchtime and pick him out another one. And one final bit to say in favour of this great story - I remember Hairy being one of my little sister's favourites when she was small - and she's now 23. Hi Amy!!
Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy is by Lynley Dodd.
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