Pugdog [Hardcover]

Andrea U'Ren (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 5, 2001 | Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Good boy?

Mike and his pup are great friends. Every day Mike takes Pugdog for a walk in the park; every night he treats Pugdog to a belly scratch before bed. But Mike doesn't know very much about dogs. Not only is Pugdog not a pug -- Pugdog is not even a he, as Mike had thought all along, but a she! Oh my! Mike feels obliged to give Pugdog a crash course on how to look and act the way a girl dog should. The only problem is, Mike doesn't know much about this subject either.

Andrea U'Ren's debut picture book is a funny romp featuring an adorable canine who ends up teaching her owner a few tricks.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A gargoyle-faced puppy grins from the appealing dust jacket of U'Ren's debut, inviting dog lovers to hear its story. This is the fawn-brown, muscular Pugdog, who drools incessantly and loves romping in the dirt. Pugdog looks tough and always wants to play. One day at the vet's, "Pugdog didn't whimper once as the vet removed a long splinter.... `He's such a good boy!' said [Pugdog's owner] Mike proudly. `He?' asked the vet. `She! Pugdog's a she! See?' " Mike's attitude toward his pet quickly changes. Pugdog finds her black spiked collar replaced by ribbons and a leash (" `Like a real lady,' as Mike would say"), when what she really wants is to be a "big, slobbering mess" at the park. U'Ren shows how Mike's sensibilities are shaken when his girl dog gets muddy, and again when an immaculately coifed white poodle turns out to be male. "I can see I'm the one who has a lot to learn!" Mike moans at the conclusion, slapping his forehead. The author-illustrator's winsome portraits make the wiggly, wrinkly Pugdog resemble both a pug and a bulldog; aficionados of snub-nosed, bulging-eyed breeds will find these images hilarious. And U'Ren's marvelous pictures underscore the message that traditional gender roles need not apply. Ages 3-6.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 4-8. Gender stereotypes are the not-so-subtle theme driving this slim story about acceptance and pet ownership. Pugdog loves life with owner Mike. The days are spent chasing, rolling, and digging in the park; nights bring fresh bones and belly scratches. But on a trip to the vet, Mike discovers that his "good boy" Pugdog is actually a girl. Mike gives Pug a makeover, bringing her to the doggy salon where she's groomed and outfitted in bows and a dress. Miserable, Pug escapes, tears around the park, and meets a frilly "ladylike" poodle, who's male. Mike learns his lesson, and Pugdog returns to her former life of mud rolling and squirrel chasing. The easy-reader style text is heavy with message, but the clean-lined, humorous illustrations create an endearing character in Pugdog, slobber and all. Pugdog's desire to be seen and accepted will resonate with children, and young pet owners will recognize the sincere bond between Mike and his dog. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1st edition (April 5, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374361495
• ISBN-13: 978-0374361495
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,409,599 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Winsome gender bender, November 9, 2001

By 

bookaddict (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pugdog (Hardcover)

This book is just as winsome as Pugdog... I am actually a lover of big dogs, but pugdog totally won me over with her oogly eyes, bulging belly and slobbery tongue. She is just so full of spit and vinegar. The drawings in this book make the story... pugdog is incredibly emotionally expressive, and the backgrounds simple and unintrusive.

This book can be read two ways... one a tale of forcing animals (people) to conform to gender stereotypes instead of their particular unique personalities... two a tale of expecting animals to conform to our skewed expectations of them to not be their normal animal selves. The story itself is verging on the ridiculous... I know of no dog owner who believes female dogs should wear dresses, not have bones or get tummy rubs. And it is actually a bit redundant to have the supposed female white poodle turn out to be a male once we have already understood the horrors of gender stereotyping and the facility of reading body type and behaviour as the wrong gender.

Fortunately the emotional dilemna of Pugdog is so strong as to overcome completely the highhanded didactic nature of the tale. And unfortunately I see this type of gender stereotyping several times everyday. As a Saint Bernard owner who sometimes dually walks a fluffy white bichon type dog, I always get "he's so big" and "she's so adorable with her little bow", although the Saint is female and the small dog is a male. I am always vaguely amused. Do they actually think that when litters of dogs are born, big chunky dogs are born male and fluffy little white dogs are born female? Imagine the birthing problems!

I think this is a wonderful book which should be read by adults as an amusing cartoon caricature of themselves, and by children, who will certainly identify more with the dog than the owner, and feel validated in their own personalities, whether or not these align with accepted gender roles. Pugdog is certainly adorable being a fat drooly dog who chases squirrels and digs holes no matter what her gender.

Highly recommended.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Witty, urbane and wonderfully engaging!, May 14, 2001

By 

"wkbarton" (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pugdog (Hardcover)

This book offers the ultimate child-parent reading experience. _Pugdog_ is about dogs and people and how we tend to treat pets from a perspective that is based on and limited to our preconceived ideas and stereotypes.

The book teaches wonderful lessons about individualism and love. --Subjects that kids get immediately. I've read it to my niece and nephew countless times and they absolutely adore the book. I've had to buy them each a copy to keep them happy. What's better is that I enjoy it every time I read it because it's so smart and funny. The illustrations are fabulous and hilarious.

This is wonderful for young school aged children (ages 6-7) and older school age children (10-12).

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Doggone charming!, April 4, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Pugdog (Hardcover)

I love this book, and so does my little boy. He loves the colorful and funny illustrations of the ever slobbering Pugdog. This book has a great twist and a great message for everyone, of any age.