Product Description

Ivan loves a good story.

Like that one about the three bears or those three gruff billy goats.

Where else can a dog find such

playmates

action

fun...

or a cookie?

Ivan's own good story lands him just where he loves to be.

In your lap.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #268187 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 1—A high-spirited terrier creates mayhem in the fairy-tale world as an unseen narrator tries to tell a series of bedtime stories. "Once upon a time there were three billy goats named Gruff," the narrator begins, but stops short when Ivan bursts onto the scene with an enthusiastic "Arf! Arf! Arf!" After chasing away the goats, he moves on to disrupt the lives of the three bears, the three little pigs, and the gingerbread boy. The noisy pup sneaks into each story, refusing to calm down despite the narrator's increasingly strident admonitions. At last, the storyteller gives up and in one final effort intones, "There once was a little dog named Ivan." But the terrier wanders away to fall asleep in his doggie bed, probably worn out from all of his mischief. The watercolor and gouache paintings add to the humor of this imaginative story, which is presented in large, readable type. Serene, light-filled pictures of the storybook figures with the approaching terrier in the background are followed by scenes of pandemonium in which the excitable pup joyously barks with all his might as the other characters flee. The startled reactions of the fairy-tale denizens and Ivan's expressive countenance will make readers chuckle and chortle with delight.—Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Ivan the terrier's brown-and-white face fills up the front cover, but, inside, the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff is being told by an unseen narrator. The art shows three goats gamboling in green fields, but then Ivan appears in the frame. The reader interrupts the text: Hey, where did that dog come from? Is that Ivan? . . . Ivan! . . . You're ruining the story! So the reader starts a different story, The Three Bears, and into the two-page spread jumps Ivan. There's only one joke here, but Catalanotto milks every bit of humor from it in the watercolor-and-gouache artwork that mixes the soft-edged fairy-tale world with a heady realism in the form of the overactive canine, who winds up eating the gingerbread boy. In the end, the narrator gives up fairy tales and starts a story about a dog named Ivan. We see only Ivan's hind end, though, as he has moved out of view to catch a nap. It can be delightful when worlds collide. Cooper, Ilene

About the Author
Peter Catalanotto has written nine picture books, including two companion volumes to this one, Daisy 1, 2, 3 and Matthew A.B.C., and Emily's Art, of which School Library Journal said in a starred review, "Whether viewed from afar or up close, this creative and heartfelt book is a masterpiece." He has illustrated thirty books in all, among them several collaborations with George Ella Lyon. Their most recent book, Mother to Tigers, received a starred review in School Library Journal and was one of the New York Public Library's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing in 2003. He lives with his family and his two dogs in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.

Peter Catalanotto has written nine picture books, including two companion volumes to this one, Daisy 1, 2, 3 and Matthew A.B.C., and Emily's Art, of which School Library Journal said in a starred review, "Whether viewed from afar or up close, this creative and heartfelt book is a masterpiece." He has illustrated thirty books in all, among them several collaborations with George Ella Lyon. Their most recent book, Mother to Tigers, received a starred review in School Library Journal and was one of the New York Public Library's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing in 2003. He lives with his family and his two dogs in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.

Customer Reviews

We never tire of Ivan!
I bought this book for my 5 year old son. We took it to school for Show and Tell (his teacher is a big Peter Catalanotto fan) and read it to his Kindergarten class. The kids loved the book and couldn't wait for me to turn each page. They were anticipating what might happen next and were fully engaged in this simple yet clever story.If you want your child to participate in story time or get excited about writing their own stories this is the book to get.

Our new bedtime favorite!
My children, ages 5-8, love this book! At first you might think it is geared towards younger children with the use of fairy tales but in fact the level of the humor appeals to older kids too. It's our new favorite bedtime book!

Hilarious book for book loving children of all ages!
I have three children ages 3, 5 and 9. They all love this book. If your children are book lovers, this is a great book for them. The fairy tales "interrupted" are basic enough that most children exposed to a variety of books will be familar with some, if not all. The illustrations are clever and lots of fun.