Wag a Tail [Hardcover]

Lois Ehlert (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

In this exuberant new picture book, Lois Ehlert takes us on a trip to the farmers market with a group of friendly, furry, and (mostly) well-behaved pups. And when the shopping's done, the gang heads to the dog park for some serious playing.

 

Readers will be wowed by the gorgeous collage illustrations, subtle counting elements, jaunty text, and--best of all--dogs galore!

     

Includes a spread that features pictures, names, and traits of all the dogs, so children can go back and follow their favorites throughout the story.
 

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2—An assortment of hip city dogs and their owners take a walk to the Farmer's Market. These proud Bow Wow School graduates celebrate their good behavior as they struggle to behave before heading off for a romp in the park. Told through the canines' thought bubbles, this simple story has a rhythmic, jazzy quality that begs to be read aloud. "Wag a tail./Wag a tail./We know how./Wig Wag Zig Zag/Bow Wow Wow." Collages composed of brightly colored buttons and scraps of fabric and handmade paper stand out on vivid green backgrounds. The final endpaper shows portraits of the pups introduced with their name and characteristics ("Keep an eye on Spike, he needs more obedience training"). With polish and pizzazz, this well-designed package pays tribute to dogs and life in the city. An author's note provides special behind-the-scenes details about the illustrations.—Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Paper cutouts conjure up a cheerful dog-centered world in Ehlert's latest book. She fashions a straightforward plot--dogs go to a farmer's market with their owners in tow, then roam free at a dog park. The text is written simply, and beginning readers may enjoy giving it a try. It's all dog talk from the start: "Ha Woo. / How are you? / We are cool / We never drool. / We're graduates of the Bow Wow School." The main attractions are the sweet figures--canine and human--that move through the solid blocks of green in Ehlert's urban landscapes. The dogs celebrate the ordinary pleasures of companionship and movement, especially in the last pages, where they do backflips and somersaults above and around each other. And in their many colors and shapes, the dogs show what clever use can be made of paper, paint, buttons, and fabric. An author's note lets readers in on where she got the materials for this book and how she put them together "like a quilt." Abby Nolan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (April 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152058435
• ISBN-13: 978-0152058432
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,171,165 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Overly Simplistic, too few words, November 20, 2009

By 

Kieran Mullen (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wag a Tail (Hardcover)

With some of the nonsense words in this book it is unlikely that a child will read this book on their own so the parent may end up reading it to the child. However with 3-4 words per 2 pages this goes rather quickly.

It is a shame that the author did not spend as much time on the words as they did on the art (which is nice)

It seems many people are getting into childrens books just to pump them out with little thought as to the content. At a MSRP of $16 it seems a little overpriced. If you can get it for under $3 fine, but it is NOT a must have book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful illustrations, January 20, 2010

By 

Anne M "Anne" (Illinois) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wag a Tail (Hardcover)

My two year old absolutely fell in love with this book and the illustrations were unique enough to keep me interested as well!

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bow wow wow!, April 24, 2007

By 

Kelly Herold "Big A little a" (Smalltown, Midwest) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wag a Tail (Hardcover)

It's not often I review a book for the world's littlest listeners, but Ehlert's "Wag a Tail" took hold of my imagination and wouldn't let go.

As fitting for a 1-to 3-year-old audience, "Wag a Tail" doesn't suffer from too much plot. In fact, nothing much actually happens. Dogs go to the market. They proclaim "We are cool." They break some rules. They "never drool." At the end of the "story," they frolic in a dog park, outdoing one another with silly dog tricks.

So what's so special about "Wag a Tail," then? The illustrations. They are vibrant, stunning, and child-friendly. Ehlert uses fuzzy felt-like collage to create her dogs and their passive, non-speaking people. She chose deep, jewel-like colors on a background of green; color choices unique in the preschool market. When I read this aloud to a six-year-old, he kept touching the pages, saying "this book looks like it should be lumpy." It sure does.

Ehlert's dogs, though created from pieces of felt and bits of button, are lifelike and recognizable. (All sixteen dogs are afforded a short bio on the inside back cover. My favorite is Lucky, the Scottish Terrier.) The dogs are mischievous , brazen, and ready for fun. Any toddler would approve.

"Wag a Tail" is the type of book you'll catch your toddler browsing through (maybe upside down?) on her own in a corner. Don't miss it. "Bow wow wow."