Don't Lick the Dog: Making Friends with Dogs [Hardcover]

Wendy Wahman (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

Meeting a new dog is exciting, but it can also be scary. This humorous how-to manual shows kids the best ways to interact with unfamiliar dogs, providing helpful tips about all sorts of dog behavior. Children often don’t understand what dogs’ actions mean and can misinterpret a threatening signal for a friendly one and vice versa. Kids and parents will return to Wendy Wahman’s playful illustrations again and again for useful reminders: Slow Down. Stay very still. And remember, don’t lick the dog!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2—This colorful picture book provides humorous information on how to make friends and interact with dogs. The tips are easy and useful, but are delivered in rhyme with an uneven meter that feels forced: "You're so polite!/You can pet these five,/but Maddie might bite." Or, "Before you give a treat to Kate/make your hand into a plate/Lick, lick, lick!/Too much is ick!/It's all right to say, ENOUGH/to all that/sloppy kissy stuff." The exaggerated, loose-line, cartoon art, filled with bright, digital hues, has a fragmented feel. The woman giving advice to the children wears black, pointy gloves and boots, resulting in a harsh, didactic tone. The concept and message are good ones and it's clear that careful thought and consideration went into the informative tips, but the execution is not entirely successful. Stephanie Calmenson's May I Pet Your Dog? (Clarion, 2007) and Elizabeth Verdick's Tails Are Not for Pulling (Free Spirit, 2005) are better alternatives.—Anne Beier, Hendrick Hudson Free Library, Montrose, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Maybe smooching strange schnauzers isn’t such a good idea, but neither is cowering in fear. In this vividly illustrated and smartly written tutorial, Wahman runs through a set of rhyming tips for any child encountering a potential canine friend. Much of the advice is placid: “Stand still and let dogs come to you / to smell your hand or sniff your shoe.” Other advice is presented in rather startling fashion, as when flared, disembodied hands paw at a canine’s face: “Whap! Whap! Whap! Dogs hate that!” No matter the mood, the illustrations strike a perfect balance, using a spiky style reminiscent of papercraft atop bright, single-color backgrounds. The slightly surreal approach isn’t the most obvious choice when designing what is essentially a safety book, but it works, nicely isolating the details that matter most, whether it’s how a palm holds chow beneath a doggie’s chin or the way to curl your fingers before allowing a pooch to sniff. Gentle self-defense suggestions close this unique offering. Preschool-Grade 2. --Daniel Kraus

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); First Edition edition (April 28, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805087338
• ISBN-13: 978-0805087338
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 10.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #418,188 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Former Seattle Post-Intelligencer staff artist, Wendy Wahman is the author/illustrator of "Don't Lick the Dog: Making Friends with Dogs" and "A Cat Like That" (both Holt), and the illustrator of the forthcoming "Snowboy 1, 2, 3" (Holt), written by Joe Wahman. "Don't Lick the Dog" was selected as a 2010 Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, starred for Outstanding Merit and accepted to the Society of Illustrators Original Art show. Wendy's editorial illustrations have appeared in major publications including Harper's Magazine, The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times.
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PRAISE FOR "Don't Lick the Dog"

"I'm passionate about helping children (and their parents) understand how best to safely interact with dogs, and this book perfectly encapsulates my philosophies on the matter in a really fun and engaging way." - Victoria Stilwell, host of It's Me or the Dog

"In this vividly illustrated and smartly written tutorial, Wahman runs through a set of rhyming tips for any child encountering a potential four-legged friend... No matter the mood, the illustrations strike a perfect balance, using a spiky style reminiscent of papercraft atop bright, single-color backgrounds... Gentle self-defense suggestions close this unique offering." - Booklist

"Outrageously bright and pointy, stylized illustrations and catchy how-to rhyme deliver digestible tips for canine encounters of the friendly, yappy, growly, wary, jumpy, licky, snappy kind." - JustOneMoreBook.com Children's Book Podcast
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PRAISE FOR "A Cat Like That"

"Striking illustrations and a pitch-perfect portrait of an unnamed pet's personality combine to showcase charming (and practical) advice on how to make friends with a feline..." - Kirkus Reviews

"With humor and a light touch, this book shows young readers what cats like and what they don't, helping kids understand good, pet-friendly behavior." - Cat Fancy

"Reading Wendy Wahman's colorful picture book A Cat Like That awakened all my hitherto more or less hidden desires to acquire a kitten." - Nancy Pearl
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Website: http://www.wendywahman.com
Facebook: http://tiny.cc/9m5hu
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#/wendywahman
Macmillan: http://us.macmillan.com/author/wendywahman
"A Cat Like That" book trailer: http://youtu.be/80WcGcwpvaI
"Don't Lick the Dog" book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exoQtUxpHR8

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book, August 7, 2010

By 

Jan Leeds - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Don't Lick the Dog: Making Friends with Dogs (Hardcover)

This is a book I use when visiting schools with my therapy dog. It teaches children how to be around dogs. The vendor got it to me promptly.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What an awesome book!, February 20, 2010

By 

G. Trotter "Mommy of Three" (Oklahoma City, OK USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Don't Lick the Dog: Making Friends with Dogs (Hardcover)

I actually just checked this book out at our local library. We bought our three young children a dog for Christmas and I wish we would have bought this book first. It has great tips for young dog owners and is easy to understand. Even my two year old asks me to read this obook over and over! I will be purchasing this book for my home.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New to dogs? A perfect and charming primer!, May 21, 2009

By 

Seattle Suze - See all my reviews

This review is from: Don't Lick the Dog: Making Friends with Dogs (Hardcover)

I just received this book as a gift and love the illustrations. They're fun, downright zany, and full of energy. The dogs, even Maddie (who's an anxious little thing), are representative of dogs that may be new to children or adults. Wahman's recommendations are easy to remember and very effective. They're meant to allow dogs and kids the space to slowly get to know each other - no patting on the head, instead just scratching or rubbing lightly on the cheek or chest, and no fingers outstretched to an unknown mouth but curling fingers into a protected ball. There are suggestions for offering a snack (with the hand held flat) and recognizing the signs for a fearful dog. Wahman's rhymes are catchy and simple, and they stay with you. I'm ordering some for gifts to my nieces and nephew who don't have dogs but do have occasional contact. Loved this!