Dogs [Hardcover]

Emily Gravett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 19, 2009

Gorgeous canines of every shape, size and colour are bounding through this irresistible book. Can you choose one dog to love best of all? With playful pencil and watercolour illustrations to delight children and adults alike, everyone will long to bark along with the Chihuahua and tickle the Dalmatian's tummy. This is a wonderfully satisfying book with a twist in the tail.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 1—Dogs, like dinosaurs, are a surefire draw for young children, and this eponymously named picture book is bound to delight canine lovers. On the cover, a large, winsomely drawn hound, leash in mouth and begging to go out, irresistibly invites young readers to pick up the book and start turning the pages. In minimal, rhyming text, an unidentified narrator describes its favorite kinds of dogs—big, small, stripy, spotty, tough, and soft—and, along the way, offers a subtle lesson in the meaning of opposites. Expressive pencil drawings, overlaid with soft washes of watercolor on creamy stock, waggishly animate more than a dozen varieties of dogs, including an enormous, protective Great Dane; a soft and squishy bichon frise; and an energetic Dalmatian. (The endpapers identify the types of dogs portrayed.) The surprise ending reveals the identity of the narrator—a cat, which qualifies "favorite" as any hound that doesn't chase it. The pacing of the simple text and scale of the drawings lend this title equally well to preschool storytimes, lap-sharing, and emerging-reader fans of Biscuit and Dog and Bear. A winner.—Kathleen Finn, St. Francis Xavier School, Winooski, VT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Canine fever sets in quickly: the endpapers depict a lineup of breeds you’re about to meet, the dedication is being dragged away by a mutt, and the imprint information is arrayed in the shape of a bone. So there’s no doubting Gravett’s first line when we finally reach it: “I love dogs.” The two-page spreads that follow illustrate in loving watercolor various sets of opposites: “I love slow dogs / and fast dogs. / Shabby / and chic dogs.” For big/small, Gravett shows an enormous Marmaduke look-alike nosing a tiny Chihuahua. For barking/quiet, a runt yips (illustrated effectively with multicolored dashes) while two floppy-eared larger dogs wince and paw at their ears. Most evocative are the layouts for hairy/bald (the page is obscured by the small slashes representing the floating hair of the shedding pooch) and good/bad (featuring two dogs, each holding a house slipper but with dramatically different results). Though the closing revelation that the narrator is a cat is unnecessary, this is a wonderfully warmhearted ode to four-legged friends. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Daniel Kraus --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Macmillan Childrens (March 19, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0230704220
• ISBN-13: 978-0230704220
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 9.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,022,961 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Emily Gravett is the author and illustrator of Spells, The Odd Egg, Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears (winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal), Monkey and Me and Meerkat Mail. Her first book, Wolves, was the winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal and the Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor Award for Illustration. Her second book, Orange Pear Apple Bear, a Quills Award finalist and on the shortlist for the Kate Greenaway Medal, was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year and a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year. Emily lives in Brighton, England, with her partner, their daughter, and the family dog.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect picture book for group sharing, April 13, 2010

By 

J. Prather (IN USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dogs (Hardcover)

I took one look at this book and fell in love. The combination of the great illustrations and the large format make this perfect for group sharing. The rhymes go along at a perfect rhythm for reading aloud and give a nice little lesson in opposites. The illustration of the hairy dog is guaranteed to make anyone smile. There are many picture books out there that take on dogs in all of their forms and functions, but I would say that none do it better than this one. A superb effort that will be going in my permanent story time collection. A huge recommend for toddlers and preschoolers.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is an amazing simple, but totally engaging book about all kinds of lovable, huggable dogs!, June 24, 2010

By 

D. Fowler "Dragonfly77" (Vermont) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dogs (Hardcover)

The kitty cat just loved all kinds of dogs. She liked Great Danes because they are BIG, but she also liked little dogs like the Chihuahua because they are small. "Tough dogs" like bulldogs are loveable, but then again soft poofy dogs like the Bichon Frise are grand too. There are those yippity yappity dogs and dogs that are pretty quiet, laid back, and just hang around. She loved `em all.

Some dogs like the German Shepherd are the rough and tumble sorts who like to tussle with their toys while others like to play quietly with theirs. Gotta love `em! Sheepdogs are as hairy as they come and their hair will fly all over the place while the Chinese Crested dog doesn't have much to spare. There are all kinds of dogs that a cat can love, including the Saluki, the Pug, the Poodle, the Bull Terrier, the Dalmatian, the Dachshund, the Shar Pei, and the Jack Russell, but there is one kind of dog that the kitty cat does NOT like. Can you guess what kind that could be?

This is an amazing simple, but totally engaging book about all kinds of lovable, huggable dogs. There is a wide assortment of dogs who march their way through these pages, all with different personalities and looks that someone is bound to love. The artwork highlights each dog on a simple cream colored background and nicely brings out their personalities with each stroke of the brush. No spoilers here, but the little twist at the end will bring a smile to your face. If have a dog or are a dog lover, this is one book you simply have to have on your shelves!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Grandma's opinion, June 30, 2010

By 

Grandma L "Grandma L" (Rockville, MD) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dogs (Hardcover)

Dogs by Emily Gravett is a great pick for dog lovers. My 2 year old grandson has me read it again and again. It also teaches some breeds of dogs through pictures.I would share it with any child.