I Don't Have a Dog, by Contessa Hileman, Carolyn Conahan (Illustrations)

 

 

I'm in love with this book. Corny as it sounds, I read it aloud to my own dog Daisy, who was sprawled across my legs as I read. Excuse me, no, I don't have a dog. I have a leg warmer. I wanted to get a feel for the rhythm as it might be when read aloud. At least that's my excuse. 

I have a hunch both children and parents or whoever might be reading will stop to "Oh" and "Ah" over the illustrations as they go along. They are humorously adorable and something new is likely to catch your eye every time you go through the book. I'm betting that will be frequently. Not only did I love the humor in the pix, but that the author and illustrator chose to showcase pet rescue at one point, the one where the girl and her "business partner", wearing a pink tutu no less, dance for donations. Another one that not only hit home with me but made me chuckle and disrupt my leg warmer's rest was the furry security alarm. That dang squirrel looks about as impressed with the alarm as mine does. Thus, from an adult owned by her do....er, lap warmer, security alarm, moose alert (we live in Alaska), and more, this book is a charming hit.

From the retired teacher in me, although it's been years since I've dealt with the age level this book is aimed at, it is full of positives, too. The drawings are simple but detailed enough to draw a child into the action with little things like the squirrel and cat leaping off the couch to catch their eye. There is also the repetition of the phrase "I don't have a dog". When children are learning to master reading, repetition is vital and this repetition, partnered with adorable drawings that illustrate each bit of action should help the child gain confidence. The colors used in the illustrations, too, are basic colors and could be used for "What do you see that is red?", say. "What is different between these people?" "Why might the father be wearing a cap?" Many little things that combined can lead to a reading not just being plain ol' fun, which it is, but aid the process of learning. I'm sure there are elementary teachers who can add to my comments but just wanted to note that it's more than just a simple, cute story. After all, it's like dogs, who "are so much more."

My Daisy, aka the leg warmer, rates this one four-paws up and several enthusiastic tail wags. Thank you #NetGalley and #SasquatchBooks and #LittleBigfoot for the smile and chuckle this lovely book brought to my heart. Now I think I'll go give Daisy some serious ear and belly rubs.