A Dog So Small is [excellent and unusual], and more….

Miss Pearce, in addition to her command of words, characterisation and setting, is a master in the invention of complex, unexpected and convincing plots….

Much of the action goes on in Ben's head, which is difficult enough for many children; and the relationships between Ben and his mother and Ben and his grandfather, which are fundamental to the story, depend for their understanding on hairline subtleties. A Dog So Small in fact is likely to be a "minority" book but one which, with its wisdom and sympathy, its profound understanding of human behaviour, its fresh and lively portrayal of town and country society, is likely to be for a few children a rung in the ladder by which they mount to adult life.

"The New Books: 'A Dog So Small'," in The Junior Bookshelf, Vol. 26, No. 3, July, 1962, p...