Hilversum summer Hans Melissen has been writing children’s books, TV series and stories about wine for years, but recently he has been delving into a new subject: Dogs. He wrote the very first Dutch dog reading book ever. It has been in stores since this week. Melissen: “There has to be a stitch loose to do that.”
“Sit down Loeka,” says Hans Melissen when he picks up the dog reading book. Dog Loeka jumps on the chair. It seems as if he knows exactly what time it is: His babysitter is going to read a piece.
Melissen came up with the idea of the special book thanks to Loeka’s real owner. “I told her that I sometimes read the newspaper to Loeka. I just thought it was fun to do. Until she once said: why don’t you write stories for dogs? Well, and so it happened!”
Adventures of the owners
The book is about an exhaust field between Hilversum and Loosdrecht. Melissen often walks there with Loeka. “All different people come there with dogs, who all experience their own things. The adventures of the visitors to that field, that was the starting point.”
It is not only fascinating – as far as possible – for the dogs, the owners can also learn something from it. For example, there are also dog education tips hidden between the lines. For example, how to keep the gums healthy. “Many people who got a dog during corona don’t really know what it all entails. This book helps a bit with that.”
In the video above, Melissen reads a piece to Loeka and explains how the booklet works.