Little Dog Poems [Hardcover]

Kristine O'Connell George (Author), June Otani (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

From cold-nose wake-up to bedtime with a Little Dog-shaped lump under the covers, a day that a little girl spends with her Little Dog is recounted in thirty short, playful poems and enchanting watercolor illustrations. Little Dog protects the little girl from vacuum cleaners and beetles, chases cats, digs up flowers, and waits hopefully as kitchen preparations take place and as popcorn is eaten. The little girl, who loves Little Dog enough to "bake / birthday cookies with / liver powder," retrieves tennis balls, brings home a present from the pet store, and observes how little a wet Little Dog becomes at bath time. A perfect introduction to the pleasures of poetry, this beguiling volume belongs on every young dog lover's bookshelf.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Experienced dog owners will recognize the familiar behavior of a winsome brown puppy as it attacks the "enemy" vacuum cleaner until it "stops growling," or as it barks until its owner "witness[es]/ the triumphA/ one cornered beetle." Otani's (Chibi: A True Story from Japan) skillful watercolors of the girl and her fluff of a dog are sweetly fetching, whether the protagonist is scolding Little Dog for chewing her new green socks or whether she is "having accidents" with her popcorn so Little Dog can share her treat. Otani's familiarity with the exuberance and joy of puppies and children shines through her delicate watercolors, and she depicts their pounces and feints, cuddles and anticipation, with a deft sense of line. George's text, however, is disappointingly slight, especially considering the dexterity of her The Great Frog Race and Other Poems. Largely devoid of the tools of poetryAmetaphor, rhythm, form, imagery, clever word playAthese entries seem like a series of child-size sentences broken into short line lengths. "Cozy," for example, consists entirely of the following lackluster description: "Little Dog tugs/ an enormous pillow/ all the way across the room/ to sit beside the fire/ with me." Occasionally George strikes a resonant chord, as in "Birthday": "Only someone/ who loves Little Dog/ very much/ would bake/ birthday cookies/ with liver powder." Despite Otani's engaging and inventive illustrations, this depiction of a girl and her dog seems uninspired. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3-Thirty short poems about a lively terrier, narrated by the dog's young mistress. The girl describes how her pet wakes her up in the morning, chases the vacuum cleaner, digs holes in the garden, chews up socks, snuggles up at bedtime, etc. The free-verse poems resemble haiku ("Little Dog's cold nose/is better than any/alarm clock"). The placement of the text indicates pauses and emphasizes certain words. In "Mail Delivery," the last five words are spread out to mimic the action described: "Little Dog proudly carries in the mail,/one/letter/at/a/time." In "Morning Nap," the words are arranged in a spiral-letters gradually shrinking in size-to suggest the dog's movements. Each poem appears on a separate page and is accompanied by a realistic watercolor-and-ink illustration. The appealing paintings show the pooch interacting with its owner, a sweet-faced girl. Myra Cohn Livingston's Dog Poems (Holiday, 1990; o.p.) and Lee Bennett Hopkins's A Dog's Life (Harcourt, 1983; o.p.) celebrate the world's most popular pet; however, they are aimed at an older audience and vary widely in tone and content. The poetry and paintings in Little Dog Poems complement one another wonderfully and bring to life an engaging canine character.
Karey Wehner, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (March 22, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395822661
• ISBN-13: 978-0395822661
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 7.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,010,624 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Warm, loving and funny!, August 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Little Dog Poems (Hardcover)

My second graders just fell in love with this book. Viva Little Dog

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Endearing..., October 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Little Dog Poems (Hardcover)

Kristine O'Connell George has written one of the most endearing books of the year....Every poem illuminates another incident in the busy life of Little Dog, and dog-owners are sure to recognize their own pets in him. June Otani's watercolors are as charming as the text.

5.0 out of 5 stars Little Dog Poems, April 10, 2007

By 

Mary S. (MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Dog Poems (Hardcover)

Very nice book of poems for children (my daughters are age 4 and 6). Each poem describes the various behavior of the same little dog. The dog reminds us of our Shih Tsu. Cute illustration. Pleasantly surprised with this book.