Some Dog! [Hardcover]

Mary Casanova (Author), Ard Hoyt (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

George was once a bouncy pup; now his pace is steady and slow. Still, he feels special. Then – “Ya-yippity, yappity, yeep-yeep-yeep!” – a stray dog bristling with energy lands on George’s doorstep and wiggles himself right into George’s family. Full of tricks, this new dog, Zippity, is a wonder! But when Zippity disappears, it’s George who proves that an old dog with a few tricks of his own can still be . . . SOME DOG!
 
Expressive watercolors brimming with humor make this a perfect choice for dog lovers of any age, while any child who has felt his status usurped by a new sibling will cheer as George, a most unlikely hero, saves the day.

 

Some Dog! is a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2—George is a lovable and dependable basset hound whose humans have always been happy to have him around. When a stray comes into their lives, though, things suddenly change. Zippity runs, fetches, swims, and chases, and he zooms circles around George, who feels left out and displaced. Unfortunately, the newcomer is scared to death of thunder and runs away when a storm hits. The man and woman ask George to help, and he uses his trusty nose to track Zippity, rescuing him from the muck where he is stuck and frightened. The watercolor-and-pencil illustrations perfectly capture the exuberance and spirit of this tale. George's wrinkled, floppy, lovable face speaks volumes, and Zippity's energy is equally clear. Children who have had their own feelings of doubt, and of being overshadowed by the arrival of a new sibling, will relate to and embrace this story of each individual's importance and place in a family.—Genevieve Gallagher, Murray Elementary School, Charlottesville, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

George the dog is slow and steady. He rests in the hammock breathing in a thousand scents and sits in the boat when the woman and man go fishing. George has a good life--until a wiry stray arrives and changes everything. Zippity is a bouncer, a leaper, a runner. On fishing trips, he dives in and catches fish. The night a thunderstorm hits, George doesn't mind the noise, but Zippity goes crazy, racing around breaking things, and is ordered out. Then, worried that he'll get lost, the humans beg George to find him. With Zippity's blanket in his mouth, George does the one thing he does well--he follows a smell and rescues Zippity from sinking in thick, oozy muck. This slight twist on the old pet-new pet theme relies on the contrast in the dogs' personalities, age, and size (basset hound and terrier) for its "zip." Well-crafted, breezy drawings animate the flurry and frenzy as sound effects in red type accentuate the action. All's well that ends well, with two wagging tails. Julie Cummins
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1st edition (February 20, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374371334
• ISBN-13: 978-0374371333
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 9.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #574,137 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some Award Worthy Book!, March 29, 2007

By 

Peggy Brown (Newark, DE) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Some Dog! (Hardcover)

A picture book is award worthy when it has many layers. And this wonderful book has all that! On the surface it is beautifully illustrated and presents the entertaining story of an established basset hound feeling ousted by a yappy interloper. Underneath, the illustrations provide additional richness to the characters' personality development and the plot development with lightness and humor. Further, it presents a moral lesson of opposite personalities with different talents and styles each having their own value and importance in the scheme of things. As a grammar school librarian, I used this book for my second grade lesson plan. My students loved this book and so do I!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Some Dog!" is highly recommended for school and community library picturebook collections, March 6, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Some Dog! (Hardcover)

Old George is a slow and steady hound dog and the center of his calm household. His chief pleasure is resting his head on his owner's lap and contentedly studying smells on the wind. Then one day a very lively little dog named Zippity arrives in a flurry of activity and barking as he runs around in circles, fetches the paper, and catches fish. All this hullabaloo makes George feel worn out and left out. But when Zippity gets himself lost in a thunderstorm, its up to George and his strong hound dog nose to sniff the pup out. Searching up and down slides, through the valley, and into a murky swamp, George finally finds Zippity firmly stuck in the mud. George pulls him out and brings him back to the homestead where he and Zippity realize they are both unique and beloved dogs in their own right and despite their differences. Energetically illustrated by Ard Hoyt, Mary Casonova's simple and elegant story of George and Zippity in "Some Dog!" is highly recommended for school and community library picturebook collections because of its appeal to dog lovers of all ages, and entertaining message young readers about sibling rivalry and the value of each and every member of a family.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fulfilling tale--worth 5 Woofs for sure!, July 20, 2007

By 

Nancy (West Coast FL) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Some Dog! (Hardcover)

I read this in my local bookstore and loved it, just figured I'd go ahead and get it on line. Wonderful illustrations, GREAT story! Special appeal for sibling rivals, but more than that. I give this a happy woof woof! And, as a previous owner of a loving basset hound, the text offers a great doggie howl, right on target for sound!