Dogs Rule! [Hardcover]

Daniel Kirk (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2, 2003

Arf! Bark! Bow wow! That's what dogs say, but just what are they trying to tell us? Find out: Why they chase their tails. Reasons to play fetch at 6 a.m. What's so great about fire hydrants? Which collars they don't want to wear and why. From a posh, perfumed lapdog to the ever-hungry chow hound, dogs tell you why cats drool and dogs rule!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 6-In this oversized book, 22 lengthy poems, one per spread, run the gamut of dogginess. Rover delights in his sticky, red rubber ball. A puppy begs to be petted. An elegant lapdog enjoys her pampered lifestyle. Then there's the chowhound that is always hungry. A Chihuahua suffers from a poor body image and a terrier just wants to be loved. Canines catch Frisbees, go for walks, chase tails, are paper trained, and dig up bones. The selections are accompanied by bold, dynamic, full-page illustrations of expressive dogs. Kirk sings these clever selections on the accompanying CD. His voice is pleasant and the enunciation is clear. The varied instrumental styles such as rock, blues, and toy piano add another level of enjoyment to the book. This poetic canine tribute is sure to be a hit with dog lovers.
Linda Staskus, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-5. Kirk offers 22 rhymed exclamations of doggy devotion, from a puppy's obsession with being petted to a chowhound's passion for food, from one pooch offering a rubber ball slimed and ready to toss to another answering the musical question, "Who's your best friend?" And a musical question it is, for the verses are all sung, with midrange tempos and simple arrangements, on the enclosed CD. Despite the occasional grumble about a cat or a collar, the tone is generally cheery, as reflected in Kirk's big, directly-in-your-face portraits of smooth-furred, broadly grinning canines. The selections, especially in their recorded versions, tend to go on too long, but the pleasures of tail chasing, hanging out of a car window, gnawing bones, and taking walks past a fire hydrant ("Every dog who's been here / leaves a special scent. / I don't know where they've gone, / but I can tell you where they went!") have never been captured with more slobbery exuberance. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 56 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (October 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786819499
• ISBN-13: 978-0786819492
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 9.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #66,407 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #25 in Books > Books on Cassette > Children's Books

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a favorite, March 8, 2004

By 

M. Tedesco (Glen Ridge, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dogs Rule! (Hardcover)

My daughter, a true dog lover at age 6, has read and listened to this book over and over and over and...
My husband and I now also know all the words. The book and music are original, funny and entertaining. Highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT BOOK!, November 15, 2003

By 

Debra L. Smith (Reynoldsburg, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dogs Rule! (Hardcover)

I previewed this book at a gathering, ended up doing a live reading, and kept 6-7 adults and 2 children enthralled and laughing out loud for about 30 minutes. This book is a wonderful 'read aloud' and the illustrations are superb. The edition I saw had an accompanying CD. I did not get to listen to it, but am excitedly anticipating it's arrival so that I may!

2.0 out of 5 stars Dog's Rule, November 19, 2010

By 

Sue She (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dogs Rule! (Hardcover)

Bought Jack and Jill by Daniel Kirk and loved it. After reading numerous reviews on Dog's Rule, I figured it would be as good if not better than Jack and Jill. For starters, the entire book is lyrics that you follow with the accompanying CD. Some are OK at best, most are just DUMB. It does not capture my 4 1/2 y.o.'s attention at all. He flips through the pages of a Brookstone catalog with more interest. Would not recommend this at all. It sits on the shelf collecting dust.