Parcours pour chiens, JvH (1000 pcs)

The box art for this 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle sets the tone right away: a dog park drawn in the dense, hilarious cartoon style that made Jan van Haasteren famous. Once assembled, the picture reveals a huge dog agility park fenced in with chain-link, where dozens of dogs of every breed - dachshunds, poodles, dalmatians, long-haired black dogs and mischievous little mutts - dash through colourful tunnels, see-saws, balance beams and jumps, watched by owners who look amused, overwhelmed or downright panicked.

Chaos fills every corner of this cartoon scene: two police officers try their best to keep order, Santa Claus has joined the outing with his own dog, a splashing pond in the upper left corner hides the famous octopus character Octo testing the dogs' agility in his own peculiar way, and a mischievous cat stirs up trouble among the four-legged competitors. All around, onlookers sit on benches in the shade of tall trees watching the show while birds fly overhead. This flood of tiny details, typical of Van Haasteren's comic jigsaw puzzles, promises hours of fun for anyone who loves spotting the little gags hidden in every corner of the picture.

Made from recycled cardboard by publisher Jumbo, this puzzle has an almost seamless finish once completed, and a poster of the artwork is included in the box to help with assembly and to look back on anytime.

The artwork is signed by Jan van Haasteren, a Dutch illustrator known for his comic jigsaw puzzles starring a cast of recurring characters (including Octo the octopus, spotted here near the pond) caught up in scenes that are as hilarious as they are packed with detail, puzzle after puzzle.

DIMENSIONS: completed puzzle measures 68 x 49 cm (26.8 x 19.3 in)