Cirrus@Austlit

'Selby′s secret is that he is the only talking dog in Australia and, perhaps, the world. With dreams of cosy fireside chats with his owners, the Trifles, Selby realises his gift could change him forever from family pooch to family servant'. (Source: publisher's website.)

'Selby is still valiantly trying to keep his gift of the gab a secret. After all, if his owners, the Trifles, find out that their pet pooch can talk, they might ask him to do chores like answer the telephone or do the shopping. Worse still, they might hand him over to snoopy scientists and he'd spend the rest of his life answering stupid questions. Selby has vowed to keep his trap shut — even if it kills him! But only fast talking can save him when he's caught in a cage with Two-Tooth Tina, or is about to be dumped over a cliff, or is going to be sliced into Selby-salami by a gigantic saw blade ... Yikes!' (Source: author's website.)

'Selby is still trying to keep his amazing abilities a secret so the Trifles don′t put him to work or, even worse, hand him over to scientists to be examined. But he needs to speak out - or scream out - when the Beast of Bogusville comes after him, or he finds himself dangling dangerously in mid-air, or he comes face to face with a living, breathing Egyptian mummy. Gulp, yiiikes, what′s this? The Trifles have a photo that proves Selby is no ordinary canine! His days of freedom could be numbered'. (Source: publisher's website.)