Product Description

It's a dog's life. Filled with squeaky toys, mischief, and plenty of naps. Every dog has a tail to wag and a tale to tell. Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest asked this collection of canines to speak up with their own words, barks, and yips.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #23800 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-01
• Released on: 2006-04-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 40 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780060735319
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 3 Free-verse poems about 14 individual dogs sprawl across oversize spreads accompanied by large oil illustrations. The poems and paintings together delightfully capture each distinct personality in few words and with broad strokes of the brush. The fonts change often and reflect the poet's words rising and falling, sometimes in bold type, growing larger and smaller and dancing over the pages. The format allows for plenty of white space, emphasizing the postures and personalities of the pups and helping the playful fonts to stand out. The overall result is an entertaining visit with some very appealing canines, and a book that perhaps could serve as an inspiration in the classroom for young poets trying to describe their own pets. One wishes that the breeds were listed somewhere, but all in all, this title is still a real treat. Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 2-4. Dogs of all sizes and shapes take center stage in this picture book by the authors and illustrator whose first collaboration, Painting the Wind (2003), also displayed an affinity for the canines among us. Each spread features a dog (or two or three) and a succinct poem written from the canine perspective. Presented in a variety of fonts and type sizes that reinforce the meaning of the words, the poems offer odes to the various pleasures of life--sleeping in the sun and chasing balls--many of which aren't limited to dogs. One animal offers a tribute to his own needle-shaped nose: "If something is closed, I open it. / If it is perfect, I tear it apart. / I love my work. / I love my nose." Dominated by multiple shades of brown and gray, the book's palette is not wildly colorful, but the paintings capture the individuality of each animal, as well as the mischief and movement young dog lovers find so irresistible. Abby Nolan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Patricia MacLachlan is the bestselling author of beloved books for young readers, including Arthur, For the Very First Time, winner of the Golden Kite Award for fiction; The Facts and Fictions of Minna Pratt; and Sarah, Plain and Tall, winner of the Newbery Medal, as well as its sequels, Skylark, Caleb's Story, and More Perfect Than the Moon. Her picture books include Who Loves Me?, Three Names, What You Know First, and All the Places to Love and Bittle, Painting the Wind, and Once I Ate a Pie, which she cowrote with her daughter, Emily. She lives with her husband in Williamsburg, Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews

Beautiful!
The words and pictures in this book are beautiful. This isn't a story book, there is no story. It's more like poetry. In reading this to kindergarten and Pre-K, the kids don't appreciate the words as much as the pictures. The words are more for older children and adults, or people who will definitely appreciate and understand "puppyness".

The pictures are for everyone. It's fun to guess the different dog breeds, which are painted as sweet puppies. One puppy is rolling over, one puppy is dressed in a raincoat. I'm a sucker for German shepherd puppies, and this illustrator captured the floppy ears and big paws while the author captured the "shepherdness" of a herding dog.

If you do love dog books and illustrations, you will not regret owning this book.

A must have for dog loving parents and teachers!
The illustrations are both heartwarming and beautiful and capture the essence of each dog poem. Dog owners are sure to connect personality traits of their own pet to almost all of the poems. Each one, written in first person or, rather first dog. offers at least one craft element to support teaching young writers. Craft elements include font size, questioning, dialogue, use of space, voice of the poet, patterns in poetry and even a poem for two voices. I love it! The ONLY thing missing is a reference to the dog breeds illustrated.

Best new 'dog' book for all ages ...
Along with Carl & Biscuit the dogs in this book are just too special to ignore. I currently work in the children's Dept. of a bookstore chain(& love dogs). When this title came in I had to look read it and make my co-workers look at it too. I have also noticed that it gets moved around quite a bit so people must be interested enough by the cover & subject to pick it up and look through it. When it comes out in 'paperback' it will fly off the shelves. It is just beautiful and so accurate for pups personalities. Love the 'poetry' rather than story line. I have told my people friends about what a cool book it is. It should be sold in pet stores & grooming shops and recommended by Veternarians etc. I'd like to see it sold in the 'pets' section of the store as well. A big THANK YOU to Patricia MacLachlan for this heartwarming collection.