The First Dog [Paperback]

Jan Brett (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: K and up | Series: Reading Rainbow

Kip the Cave Boy offers to share all his woolly rhino ribs if Paleowolf will use his keen nose, fine ears, and sharp eyes to keep Kip from being eaten up. When Paleowolf agrees with a bark and a wag of his tail, Kip names his new friend Dog.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"Long, long ago," Kip the cave boy re-christens Paleowolf, a helpful, ever-hungry animal companion--and man's best friend is born. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1 A simple, imaginative tale of how the first domestication of a wild animal may have occurred. Kip, a cave boy living at the end of the Ice Age, is followed on his journey home by a Paleowolf, who, smelling the boy's roasted Woolly Rhino bones, begs for a treat. Each time the boy stops to rest and eat, the wolf hound senses danger and flees, saving the boy's life, too. After Paleowolf warns him of a fearsome Saber-Toothed Cat, the boy makes a deal with himhe will exchange some of his food for the animal's protective senses. The book's glorious watercolor illustrations will attract young prehistory enthusiasts, for amidst the melting ice floes roam the mighty Mammoth, the Wild Horse, the Woolly Rhino and other denizens of the Pleistocene period. Each scene appears on a ``canvas'' stretched across two pages. Borders show wood and stone carvings, cave paintings, and artifacts. Side panels on several illustrations show the dangers that Kip avoids by heeding Paleowolf's warnings. This is another of Brett's lavish offerings, intricately designed and filled with eye-catching detail. However, it is a fabricated story told with authority, featuring a modern-looking boy amidst authentic-looking animals and scenery. Children familiar with the ever-growing body of factual material on this period may accept it as the truth, despite its accompanying notes. Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, Ohio
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper (August 17, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152276513
• ISBN-13: 978-0152276515
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.3 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #129,903 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #9 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( B ) > Brett, Jan
  • #11 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Historical Fiction > Prehistory

More About the Author

Jan Brett is the author of the New York Times bestselling Gingerbread Friends, The Three Snow Bears, and The Mitten, as well as many other classics. She lives in Norwell, Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book, May 24, 2000

By 

Kerry Hand (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The First Dog (Hardcover)

The First Dog is truely a wonderful book. I run a day care and this book is the favorite of all the children. We have all of Jan Brett's book yet this one remains the most requested. Thank you Jan Brett for bringing so much pleasure to so many children!

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars WOW! EXCELLENT STORY! WONDERFUL ART! GREAT GIFT OF ANY AGE!, May 19, 2000

By 

Kevin Poe - See all my reviews

This review is from: The First Dog (Paperback)

To date this is my favorite of all of Jan's Bretts wonderful books! It's beautiful and it tells a heart warming story!

Brett's artwork (as usual) is tremondous! The action is so real you can't help but exclaim at the turn of every page (even if you're an adult)! In addition Brett's technique of putting clues as to what will happen next in the borders of each picture also helps build the suspense. My 5-year-old quickly spys a tusk on one page's border and shouts "Oh no! Look out Kip a Big Mammoth is coming! Hey wolf! Warn Kip that a Big Mammoth is coming!" My boy couldn't be more into the story if he is was Kip himself. The best part of the border art is that it is very thematic. For example on the saber-toothed tiger page there are carved figurines and cave art of saber-tooths based on actual archeological finds! I wish I could give 5 stars but saber-tooth cats didn't really climb trees...

I'm usually very critical of children's books & movies. In my opinion too many are either boring, plotless, or hopelessly inaccurate. Don't get me wrong, I love fantasy and other imaginitive works. But, for example elephants don't drink through their trunks like a straw! So why do we tell/show kids that they do?

Thankfully Brett would not make such an insulting mistake (saber-tooth in a tree is excuseable). This story is told so well, I assume that Brett actually did some serious research about Dog Domestication (she even uses the word Pleistocene!). The wolf befriends Kip the Cave Boy not just because it would make a cute story, but because Kip and the wolf have many things in common and while acting in each others self-interest they unite against common problems. AT LAST! Accurate Anthropology & Biology in a kid's book that KIDS ACTUALLY ENJOY!

P.S. looking for another excellent Kid's book on life in the Pleistocene? Try "Grunt the Primative Cave Boy" by Timothy Bush

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite writing, beautiful pictures!, March 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The First Dog (Reading Rainbow Book) (School & Library Binding)

Join Kip the cave boy as he journeys to his home through a trecherous land filled with ferocious mammoths and gigantic grizzly bears. Paleowolf, his wolf friend, helps Kip on his trek. This book is filled with lovely drawings detailed with a careful hand; the illustrations will delight children and adults alike. Another great accompishment by Jan Brett; the perfect book to add to a child's collection!