ONE DINGO, SIX ANIMALS, AND AN APPROACHING STORM.
With so much on his plate, Dallas Dingo is feeling the pressure, but the residents of the Ragtag Hotel are counting on him. Can he secure everything amid the fierce winds while trying to fix everyone’s problems? Brace yourself, as a storm is brewing!
🌏 Learn about animals from the different corners of the globe
🎁 Perfect gift for teaching young children about friendship and kindness
🌙 A short bedtime story to send your child off to sleep with a smile
❤️ Charming characters and illustrations ideal for young children ages 4-9 years
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique)
Storms wreak havoc worldwide. They topple homes, destroy landscapes and properties, and leave their mark on communities for years. At the Ragtag Hotel: Chaos in the Courtyard takes readers through the preparation and aftermath of a severe thunderstorm. It shows how six hotel occupants band together to help Dallas Dingo (the go-to worker for everything at the hotel) clean up the outdoor damage caused by the storm.
At the Ragtag Hotel: Chaos in the Courtyard opens the door for kids to share how their family prepares for bad weather, express their feelings about storms, and (if applicable) how storms have affected their life or city. This story might inspire your family or class to gather supplies, create a disaster plan, and donate to a community in need. It’s a great segue into teaching children about disaster preparedness and safety measures.
At the Ragtag Hotel: Chaos in the Courtyard uses animals to focus on a real-life scenario. As we watch Dingo scramble to prepare the pool area for the impending bad weather, we also see him put others’ needs before his own. (All seven animal characters were first introduced in “At the Ragtag Hotel: The Elevator Ride.”) The dingo has a lot on his plate, but through it all, readers notice he never loses his smile or his willingness to help others, and Dallas’s kind acts do not go unnoticed or unappreciated.
At the Ragtag Hotel: Chaos in the Courtyard is a beautifully crafted story. You can almost feel the wind blowing across the pages. I loved the inclusion of Spanish, Swahili, and Filipino words in the English-written story. I liked the world map that shows where the 7 characters call home, and the page introducing a fun fact about each animal featured in the story. The only additional item I would’ve included was a pronunciation key for the foreign words.
I recommend At the Ragtag Hotel: Chaos in the Courtyard and At the Ragtag Hotel: The Elevator Ride for children 4 years and older.
Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest)
Score: ❤️❤️❤️❤️1/2
Meet the Author
Award-winning author Freya Novak makes a notable debut in children’s picture books with her breakout novel, At the Ragtag Hotel: The Elevator Ride.
Loved by critics and readers alike, the book has won the Firebird Children’s Book Award, the North America Gold Book Award, the Readers’ Favorite Silver Book Award, and the Royal Dragonfly Book Award for New Author – Fiction and Best Children’s Picture Book.
The second book in the Ragtag Hotel series, Chaos in the Courtyard, will be released in October 2026.
Novak is an author and educator passionate about storytelling and dedicated to teaching. She has travelled throughout Western Australia, reaching remote schools to provide education and inspiration. Her stories evoke a sense of place, culture, and human connection.
