Open Me...I'm a Dog (Hardcover)

by Art Spiegelman (Author, Illustrator) "What's that?..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Not so much a book as it is three-dimensional art, Art Spiegelman's Open Me ... I'm a Dog! is a fun romp through the usual expectations of children's stories, in this case a dog who is transformed into a book by a wizard. As the "book" tries to make its way back into being a dog, it gets turned into a variety of other things. Every page is filled with that sense of innocent wonder that appeals to children and adults alike. And after you finish the story (or before you even get to it), you can't help but be amazed by the completeness of the book/dog, from the furry end papers to the attached leash. Just don't let your cat see it.

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 1. Spiegelman, whose adult graphic novel Maus (Pantheon, 1986) has reached icon status, tries his hand at a picture book with mixed results. The story involves the misadventures of a dog transformed into a sheepherder by a witch, into a frog by a magic maiden, and into a book by a wizard. Delivered with tongue-in-cheek humor, sophisticated language, and several external contrivances in packaging, the whole is disappointing. The laughs and wordplay will be appreciated by school-aged children (e.g., when the witch turns the puppy into a German Shepherd, it is a shepherd from Germany). However, the gimmicks will appeal most to very young children. The book has a sturdy leash attached to its binding, fuzzy endpapers, a pop-up page, and a lift-the-flap page. While this is a clever novelty, it is less successful as a story. It has neither the well-focused humor of Susan Meddaugh's Martha Speaks (Houghton, 1992), nor the enduring simplicity of Eric Hill's Where's Spot (Putnam, 1980).?Kate McClelland, Perrot Memorial Library, Greenwich, CT
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (August 16, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060273208
• ISBN-13: 978-0060273200
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #398,746 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #3 in	Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( S ) > Spiegelman, Art
  #11 in	Books > Children's Books > Animals > Dogs > Staff Picks
  #43 in	Books > Children's Books > Ages 4-8 > Staff Favorites

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FUN FOR THE READER AS WELL AS THE AUDIENCE, July 16, 1998

By A Customer

I had so much fun reading this book to my grandchildren that I have bought copies for all of them and to give as gifts to other children. They love having it read to them and I love seeing the thinking going on as they try to decide if this book really is a dog or if I am just playing with their minds again. I highly recommend this fun and charming book.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Portable Canine for All Ages, March 21, 1998

By	Linda Johns ([e-mail]) (Seattle, Washington) - See all my reviews

Undoubtedly it will be adults -- parents, aunts, uncles, friends -- who are drawn to "Open Me, I'm a Dog." Art Spiegelman's name (as the Pulitzer-prize winning creator of MAUS), the highly-conceptual nature of the book and the art itself appeal to an adult's sense of what is "cool" for children. Good-intentioned aunts and uncles will fawn over this book, while parents lacking imagination will believe it isn't really intended for children. And that, unfortunately, is where they'll be wrong. Because "Open Me, I'm a Dog" is an ideal, silly book for a 4- or 5-year-old child. Kids' imaginations are easily fueled at this stage; they just know that inanimate objects have lives of their own; they're sure that there's a side of life that adults just can't understand; they understand that a book should be petted and loved just as often as a lovable canine. So, why couldn't a curse have turned a dog into a book? It can, of course, in this delightfully simple but mischievous romp. A pop-up wagging tale , a hidden bull frog (the size of a bull, no less) and a leash for the book, er, I mean, DOG, complete the package. This small, portable book (there I go again - I meant to say DOG) would make an ideal gift for someone who is 4, 14 or 40.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a book you can take for a walk!, June 11, 2000

By	K. Bennett (Rolla, MO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It's a book! It's a dog! It's a book you can walk on a leash! It's a dog that will sit on your bookshelf! It's a fun dog book that you and your kids will love!

This clever book, which comes complete with nylon leash, wagging tail, and fuzzy endpapers, insists that it is a dog. He was a normal puppy until he got lost in the enchanted woods. He finds a home with kindly old witch (by witch standards she was nice, anyway), but when he used her best broom as a chew toy, she turns him into a German Shepherd.

That's right. A shepherd. On a mountain top in Germany. You were thinking of the other kind, weren't you? That's part of the fun of this book -- wonderful plays on words.

By the time the puppy finishes his story, he's begging the reader to believe that he is, really and truly, a dog. He may not be like other dogs, "but at least I don't have fleas and I never bite." And he'll never make puddles on your carpet if you let him be a part of your family. If only all dogs were like that!

My kids won't let me trade in our two real dogs for more like this one, but they love spending time with this dog, er, book. My seven year old can read it all by herself, and her almost five year old brother has memorized it so he can "read" it, too.