Dog on the Roof!: On the Road with Mitt and the Mutt [Hardcover]

Bruce Kluger (Author), David Slavin (Author), Colleen Clapp (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: June 19, 2012

They were the typical American family on a typical American road trip—Dad behind the wheel, Mom in the passenger seat, their five adorable kids piled in the back. And, of course, their beloved dog strapped to the roof.

Wait . . . what?

Now for the first time, here is the completely true—and only mildly embellished— shaggy-dog story of Seamus Romney, the famously fetching Irish setter whose master, future presidential candidate Mitt Romney, plopped him atop the family station wagon for that infamous 1983 car trip. From the majesty of Mount Rushmore to the fabulousness of San Francisco, from the sacred temple of Salt Lake City to the hallowed halls of Washington, D.C., here at last is Seamus’s rooftop account of that headline-grabbing journey . . . unleashed.

Doggedly chronicled by satirists Bruce Kluger and David Slavin (NPR’s All Things Considered), and cleverly illustrated by Colleen Clapp (The Chris Matthews Show, NBC News), this American tale is more than just the story of a dog on a hot tin roof. It is the inside (well . . . overhead) look at the Man Who Would Be President and the wild ride that’s sweeping—and bewildering—the nation.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bruce Kluger and David Slavin began writing and performing satire for National Public Radio’s All Things Considered in 2002. Their cultural and political commentary has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, and other newspapers in the Los Angeles Times–Washington Post News Service. Their work has also been featured on the Huffington Post, where they are recurring bloggers, and Salon.com. Bruce and David live one block from each other in New York City. Both are married, and both have two daughters. Visit RomneyDogontheRoof.com

Colleen Clapp has created artwork for, among others, the Smithsonian, NBC News, ABC News, The Chris Matthews Show, and the Philadelphia Zoo. Her commissions have included public murals, magazine and book illustrations, and portraits and paintings in a variety of media. She has also exhibited her oil paintings in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area. Colleen lives in Frederick, Maryland, with her husband. The couple has two daughters.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone (June 19, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1451698887
• ISBN-13: 978-1451698886
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,001,883 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

BRUCE KLUGER is a writer, columnist and commentator whose work appears regularly in newspapers and magazines across the country, as well as on the Internet. A member of the Board of Contributors of USA Today, Bruce also frequently writes about fatherhood for Parenting magazine, and is a regular contributor to National Public Radio's All Things Considered, The Los Angeles Times, Psychology Today, Time Out New York and the Huffington Post.

Formerly an editor of Playboy magazine and a DVD reviewer for Us Weekly, Bruce has written about current events, family and the popular culture for, among others, The New York Times, The New York Post, The New York Daily News, The Chicago Tribune, The Chicago Sun-Times, The Baltimore Sun, The Boston Globe, Newsweek, Time.com, HuffingtonPost.com, Salon.com, Alternet.org, ForbesTraveler.com, Arrive (the Amtrak magazine), Time Out New York, Time Out New York Kids, NickJr.com and the Sesame Street Workshop. He is the co-author, with David Tabatsky, of "Dear President Obama: Letters of Hope from Children Across America" (Beckham Publications Group, Inc., 2009). Additionally, Bruce co-edited and/or contributed to the books "The Right Words at the Right Time" and "The Right Words at the Right Time, Vol. 2: Your Turn!" (Atria Books, 2002 and 2006) and "Thanks & Giving: All Year Long" (Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, 2004), all by Marlo Thomas. (The CD version of the latter book, for which Bruce served as Associate Producer, won the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children.)

Since 2001, Bruce has also been writing satire with David Slavin. Their work is regularly featured on National Public Radio's All Things Considered and in The Los Angeles Times; in dozens of syndicated newspapers around the country; and on countless sites on the Internet, notably The Huffington Post. Their books include "Young Dick Cheney: Great American" (AlterNet Books, 2008) and "'Twas the Night Before Christmas: 21st Century Edition" (Andrews McMeel, 2010).

Formerly an actor, Bruce appeared in the films "The Burning," "The Chosen," "Diner and "Playing For Keeps," and on the TV show "Diff'rent Strokes." Television enthusiasts might also remember Bruce from his three-year assignment as an on- air correspondent for the E! Channel's "The Gossip Show."

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Dog on the Roof July 10, 2012

By Sheri Newton

Format:Hardcover

Dog on the Roof by Bruce Kluger and David Slavin is a humorous political satire about Mitt Romney's infamous tale of the family vacation with their dog on the roof. Clever illustrations by Colleen Clapp make this a quick and very funny read during this election year.

Dog on the Roof is an enjoyable, fun, and short read. It is a book that pokes fun at one of the guys that might lead our country, but without freedom of speech, what does our country really have? I think if Mitt Romney reads it, he'd get at least a couple laughs out of it, too. I mean, I wonder what his dog Seamus thought the entire trip up there on that roof.

I think this was a smartly written book that is genuinely funny without demeaning one political party over the other. I enjoyed it and definitely recommend it for everyone to read, no matter which political party you are in.

* Thank you to the publisher of Dog on the Roof, Touchstone, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Laughed So Hard I Cried June 29, 2012

By Pecky Woodpecker

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

... and I was hoping I wasn't crying about the possibility that such a dolt could end up leading the country. This is a wonderful, very short, read -- hilarious, clever and zany, exactly everything its main character is not. I actually bought five extra copies to hand out to friends, I liked it that much.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars VERY FUNNY September 24, 2012

By L. Brisbane

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

A FUN CHILDRENS BOOK FOR SAVYY POLITICAL JUNKIES AND /OR PEOPLE WHO THINK IT JUST A BAD IDEA TO TRAVEL WITH A DOG IN A BOX ON THE CAR ROOF FOR A 13 HOUR CAR JOURNEY.
NO ONE IN THEIR COMPASSIONATE, RIGHT MIND WOULFD TREAT THEIR PET THIS WAY.
SO THE BOOK MAKES THE JOKE AS IF SOMEONE WOULD BE HEARTLESS ENOUGH..
IM GLAD I BOUGHT THE ILLUSTRATED BOOK.
i would most certaily recommend the book to anyone. its written in poem style
and the pictures and illustrations are fun as well..