Customer Reviews

The Bookshop Dog (Scholastic Press)

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4 star:		(1)
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Choosing a friend can be very difficult, and recent experience tells me that maintaining a friendship can be even more so. Prolific author/illustrator Cynthia Rylant addresses the "choosing" aspect of friendships in this humorous book about a bookstore owner and her dog, "Martha Jane."

The unnamed owner and her dog are inseparable; the human even names her store "Martha Jane's Bookshop." New customers assume that this is the owner's name, and when they ask to speak with her, they find themselves shaking hands with a dog! After this setup, Rylant introduces us to the popular dog's many friends: The green-coated man who feeds and pets her, and the postman, the policeman, and the band director who each teach Martha a trick related to their own profession. (For example, "the postman taught Martha Jane how to fetch the mail.")

One day, however, the bookshop owner must go to the hospital to have her tonsils removed. There's a dilemma--whom she choose to dog sit Martha Jane? The loveable dog has plenty of suitors: The policeman, the postman, the band director, and several children compete for dog sitting honors. In fact, "things get a little nasty."

"The policeman told the postman to take his junk mail and stuff it down his pants. The postman told the band director to go blow his horn. The band director blew his horn in the policeman's ear. And some of the children swatted each other with their bags of kibble."

Rylant seems to say that some people go a bit too far to "win" a friendship. However, when the green-coated man comes to Martha Jane with food, affection, and kind words, Martha makes up her mind. The book closes happily: The townspeople make up, the bookshop owner and the green-coated man get married, and Martha Jones (looking slightly scared) surfs the waves on the post-wedding trip to Hawaii! While things are tied up somewhat too neatly, the narrative shows that the most unselfish and least self-centered person was the person Martha Jane trusted enough to take care of her. An alternative conclusion (maybe a better one) might have skipped the quick marriage, and pointed out how a loveable dog (or boy or girl) can have many friends along with those few he or she trusts the most. Still, the book has its own sweet logic, some funny moments born of confusion and conflict, and it conveys the close bond between people and their pets. Rylant's vividly colored illustrations are inviting, and the childlike forms framed by bright designs make this an informal, welcoming book.

This is another wonderful children's book that my kids want me to read again and again. It has beautiful illustrations and the point of the story is made in such a way that children can easily understand. I highly recommend this book.

This book is a charming and humorous story about a very loved dog. The illustrations are wonderful, because they are simple, colorful, and happy! Time and time again, my young students pick this one from the shelf for a read-aloud.

There was- one dog and one girl. They had a picnic. They would take martha Jane to the dentist and take her to the book shop.The owner helped Martha Jane when she needed help to finf the books. Martha Jane loved her owner. The owner really loved her job and really loved her dog more. I would recommend this book to any young boys and girls because it was a very happy story.

We've had this book in our collection for years, and my daughter requested to have it at school for her special day when I came in to read to the class. It's a fun book to read aloud and the pictures are eye-catching. The kids loved it and the teacher asked me about it, so we bought another copy as an end of the year gift for her teacher. Cynthia Rylant always has a way of making stories fun, humorous, and touching for both the kids and the parents.

If you like dogs at all then you must buy this book. Wonderful, as always from Cynthia Rylant.

Do you like animals? If so, you will like THE BOOKSHOP DOG by CYNTHIA RYLANT. It teaches you about kindness and if you are kind good things will come to you. Like the bookshop's owner was kind to her dog. Once there was a woman who loved her dog so much she named her bookshop after her dog. Her dog's name was Martha Jane. Now the bookshop is called Martha Jane Bookshop. One day the woman became very ill and had to go to the hospital but no dogs were allowed. She knew she had to get somebody to watch Martha Jane for a week, but Martha Jane made her choice.

This story reminds me of my dog Gracie because she is very loyal. Martha Jane is very loyal to her owner .She has a very loving owner. Martha Jane has a very loving owner and family. I loved this story because the woman is so nice to her dog. She has a great friendship.

The dog Martha Jane is loved so much by everyone who comes to the bookshop where she lives,especially her owner. Soon her owner gets sick and needs a dog sitter. Everyone wants to watch Martha Jane. Who will she choose? I would recommend this book to 3-7 year olds who want to know who will be chosen to watch Martha Jane.