A Dazzling Display of Dogs [Hardcover]

Betsy Franco (Author), Michael Wertz (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: January 25, 2011 | Age Range: 3 - 7 years

From the award-winning team behind A Curious Collection of Cats comes a new collection of visual poems celebrating all things canine—from obedience school, to backyard break outs, to flatulent Fidos. Whether your best friend is a plucky Jack Russell, an indecisive basset hound, or a poodle with an indiscriminate appetite, you're sure to find this dazzling display doggone delightful.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 1–5—This follow-up to A Curious Collection of Cats (Tricycle, 2009) is dazzling indeed. Each of the 34 poems features a different animal, most of them engaged in true dog behavior. From farting in the car to wheezing and snoring while sleeping, these pups are funny and lovable even when they're being annoying. The verses and the book's design are beautifully matched. In "Emmett's Ode to His Tennis Ball," the text is enclosed in a circle held firmly in the dog's mouth. It begins, "Slobbery, sloppy, slimy, sphere—oh, tennis ball, I hold you dear…." Like the poems, the pictures are funny and dynamic. The pages are definitely full, yet careful use of color, typeface, and detail means they never look chaotic. A note says the pictures were started in pencil and then finished using monoprints and Adobe Photoshop. Overall, a delight for kids, their adults, and maybe even their beloved canine companions.—Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
(c) Copyright 2011.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

The creators of A Curious Collection of Cats (2009) offer another volume of concrete poems filled with playful action. Elementary students will pick up the wry wordplay, but younger children will have trouble deciphering the words amid the packed, digitally touched artwork. The poems do capture familiar scenes with pets, such as a dog playing with a tennis ball (“sloppery slippery slimy”) and the pitfalls of car trips with a pooch: “The very worst part / without a doubt / is when Cassandra / makes a fart.” Both silly and on-target, the slapstick rhymes are good choices for family sharing. Grades K-3. --Hazel Rochman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 3 - 7 years
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Tricycle Press; 1St Edition edition (January 25, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9781582463438
• ISBN-13: 978-1582463438
• ASIN: 1582463433
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 0.4 x 7.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #856,225 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars An adorable book for dog lovers! January 8, 2012

By Deborah Sandford

Format:Hardcover

The poems are short, rhyming and full of humor; the illustrations are colorfully bright and engaging. Perfect for use in school for a poetry lesson, or just a captivating book to read. Author Betsy Franco really knows doggie personalities, and Michael Wertz's illustrations will shake up your brain. Don't miss this book if you love dogs!

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, sweet and utterly evocative of the best qualities of dogs... December 8, 2011

By 35-year Technology Consumer TOP 100 REVIEWER

Format:Kindle Edition

"A Dazzling Display of Dogs" is a mixed media art and textual paean to those things --charming and otherwise-- that endear us to dogs.

While it seems that many of the dogs presented in this book are based on specific dogs perhaps known to the author (Betsy Franco) and illusrator (Michael Wertz), the fundamental dog traits they reveal will be familiar to anybody who has bonded with one.

You can read through this quickly the first time, and then wander back at a slower pace to discover intriguing nuance in both the drawing and the writing.

I experienced this book through a library-supplied digital version on a Kindle Fire. But don't cheat yourself. This a volume best enjoyed as a traditional book (for nearly the same price.

Great fun for dog lovers.

5.0 out of 5 stars Poetic Pooches March 19, 2011

By Catherine W. Hughes

Format:Hardcover

Meant for dog-lovers, this collection of thirty-four poems is playful and fun. Clever text and illustrations take a poster board style, with copy written every which way. From Jazzy to Amelia, each dog takes a special place. Children ages 5-8 will adore these poetic pooches.