Be Brown! [Hardcover]

Barbara Bottner (Illustrator), Barry Gott (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 18, 2002 | Age Level: 2 and up

Sit! Stay! Be quiet! Why won't this naughty dog behave? This boisterous new picture book introduces a rambunctious pooch and the young owner who is determined to keep him in line. But when your crazy canine just won't listen, what's a kid to do? Find out as these two learn the power of compromise and the importance of being yourself, with a sweet and funny resolution that will leave everybody happy.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bottner (Two Messy Friends) and Gott (Patches Lost and Found) treat readers to a simple, effective tale of a boy beleaguered by a disobedient dog. The poker-face text, made up of one- and two-word commands, inspires hilarious animated illustrations of the pup doing the opposite. "Sit!" shouts the boy in the opening spread. Instead, the perky pooch who's as big as the boy jumps up to lick him on the face. "Drop it!" the boy says as the dog feasts on a sneaker. Fueled by frustration ("Be careful! Be quiet!"), the boy finally comes up with a command his pet can conquer: "Be brown!" In the end, the two embrace as the boy finally comes to accept the distinctive character of his canine companion. All ages.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Preschool-Grade 1--The story of a little boy and his rambunctious, disobedient dog. Brown won't follow any of his young master's commands of "Sit," "Stay," or "Down." In fact, he does just the opposite, much to the child's frustration. Finally, as if inspired, the boy yells, "Be Brown!" This command elicits a joyous response from the animal and a relieved "Good dog" from the boy. In the spirit of David Shannon's No, David! (Scholastic, 1998), the book has one word per page, leaving the uncluttered, expressive illustrations to expand on the story. The boy's bulging eyes; wide, large, open mouth; and unruly red hair give him the look of any youngster fruitlessly chasing after something that is clearly too much for him. The child-sized dog bounds about the yard and house in total disregard for his young owner's words. A fun book for beginning readers and lap-time sharing that will elicit giggles all around.

Jane Marino, Scarsdale Public Library, NY

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap (February 18, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399237755
• ISBN-13: 978-0399237751
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,923,772 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Fun!, April 19, 2002

By 

Patty (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Be Brown! (Hardcover)

My 3.5-year-old son loved this hilarious story about a bossy boy and his disobedient dog. The way that the dog never listens to the orders that the boy is delivering is very amusing and so true to life. We laughed and laughed as we read this story. The ending where the little boy finally thinks up an order that the dog is able to obey works perfectly. We loved the way that they boy wants to celebrate his dog's "goodness" with a hug and some words of praise. The words and the pictures go together perfectly! All in all, this book is a great read and is sure to be a favorite with all children who have pets and those that want one.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure Fun!, April 7, 2002

By 

Etta D. Gold (Miami, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Be Brown! (Hardcover)

Barbara Bottner's latest picture book proves once again how perfectly she understands children. A young boy is desperately trying to train his uncooperative dog. Ignoring command after command, the dog gloriously (and hilariously) avoids compliance. What's a boy to do? -- A perfectly satisfying ending!

5.0 out of 5 stars SOOOO Funny!, March 10, 2005

By 

A Boca Mom (Boca Raton, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Be Brown! (Hardcover)

This is a great book. I have given this book as a gift to new parents and say this book is just like having children. You do your best, but they are who they are.