The Dog Days of Summer
Categories: Children's Books
It is safe to say, we are in the dog days of summer. I’ve lost count of the number of days it’s been over 90’. Why not sweat it out with some of these dog themed favorites?
Bark, George by Jules Feiffer is by far my favorite dog book. A lovable pup tries to bark, but all that comes out are other animals' sounds- he quacks, he oinks, he moos, until a trip to the vet unleashes the problem.
In Move Over Rover by Karen Beaumont, obliging Rover allows, first, Cat, and then a succession of other animals to seek shelter from a rainstorm in his doghouse. All is well until skunk arrives…
Lyn McFarland’s Widget, introduces a cold, hungry stray dog, who ventures into Mrs. Diggs' house and hopes he's found a home. Unfortunately, as Mrs. Diggs says, "the girls just can't stand dogs." The girls, Mrs. Diggs' six cats, don't seem to like Widget at first sight. But when he meows, purrs, and uses the litter box, they start to accept him, and, after a few pages, he's having so much fun with the cats that he sometimes forgets he's a dog.
Jane Cabrera’s Dog’s Day is a simple look at one spotted puppy’s day. Great for the youngest of dog fans.
In Claire Masurel’s No, No Titus a bewildered pup is left to his own devices to figure out his special role in his new farm family. He tries to board the school bus with the children but is pushed away. He fumbles his way from the field where the farmer is riding the tractor to the barn where the farmer's wife is milking the cows. He follows the cat, who informs him that dogs don't chase mice, and tries to perch on a hen's nest only to be told that dogs don't lay eggs. Will he find his place on the farm?
In Lynn Reiser’s Any King of Dog, all Richard wants is a dog. But, when his mom comes with a series of dog look-alikes, things don’t always go as planned.
My Father the Dog by Elizabeth Bluemle is packed with giggles. The young narrator is convinced that her father really is a dog, sharing her observations of the similarities between her father and the family pet.
Mary Casanova’s One-dog Canoe is a timeless good idea gone bag story as canoe trip turns into a rollicking adventure. A girl and her dog set out for a paddle, but Beaver wants to come too, even though the girl tells him, "There's not much room. It's a one-dog canoe." But he climbs aboard, as, in turn, do Loon, Wolf, and even Bear and Moose. They all manage to stay afloat, until Frog leaps in. A veritable explosion of wildlife ensues as animals, canoe, girl, paddle, and picnic basket are flipped into the air, then fall and land with a splash.
