Dog Days: Rhymes Around the Year [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

~ (Author), Dyanna Wolcott (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

No one, but no one, knows how to have fun like a dog does. Every month of the year, in rain, sun, wind, or cold, dog days are full of joy and adventure. In this cheerful book of poems, a fuzzy yellow canine narrator bounds through the pages, sharing the delights and perils that a typical dog might encounter from January to December:

"How sweet to be a dog in May,
And garden every single day.
I dig up dirt, I dig up stones,
And plant a row of lovely bones."

Wacky wordsmith Jack Prelutsky's simple, childlike rhymes are perfectly paired with Dyanna Wolcott's lively, wild perspectives on dogs, people, umbrellas, and buses--all exuding a happy naiveté. Sharp-eyed readers will enjoy picking out the subtle touches in the illustrations--the dog among sheep, the runaway baby buggy with three dalmatians inside, and the Halloween witch hats lurking in the bushes. An irresistible treat for readers any time of the year. (Click to see a sample spread.) (Ages 3 to 7) --Emilie Coulter --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Rhyming quatrains and whimsical pictures describe each month in a fun-loving dog's year in this good-natured collaboration. The tenor of Prelutsky's poems (The Gargoyle on the Roof) is affable but mild; the zaniness and linguistic play that characterize much of his work go missing here: "It's very noisy in July,/ When fireworks light the evening sky./ Though I'm a patriot and proud,/ For ears like mine, it's much too loud"; or, "It's late November, sing hooray,/ For now it is Thanksgiving Day./ I do not think that I can wait/ To taste that turkey on the plate." Debut illustrator Wolcott is responsible for much of the book's merriment. Taking creative liberties with perspective, she renders the pup in amusing poses: riding the March winds, he flies through the air alongside kites; with other costumed dogs, he cavorts in the beams of flashlights on Halloween night; and in January he sleds on a field of snow in a scene that looks as busy and kinetic as an amusement-park ride. Kids will want to return to her brightly patterned pictures to spot all the playful details she has planted. Ages 2-7. (Aug.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dragonfly Books (October 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440417538
• ISBN-13: 978-0440417538
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.8 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,759,399 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A Delight For All Readers, April 12, 2000

By	Karen Payne, Ph.D. "[e-mail]" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dog Days: Rhymes Around the Year (Hardcover)

This is a delightful collection of poems written from the perspective of the canine that speaks to the uniqueness of each month. The language as well as illustrations will captivate and hold the interest of child as well as adult. I have shared this with my son's kindergarten teacher, who agreed it is a gem!

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet , original book for children and dog lovers alike., August 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dog Days: Rhymes Around the Year (Hardcover)

What a wonderful little book. While the rhyme of Mr. Prelutsky is always fresh and fine, it was the illustrations that captured my mind. Dyanna Wolcott has a wonderful eye for the child like experience. She captures the world of dogs with a fanciful blend of humor, originality and blazing color. As a book of months this is a wonderful teaching tool. But I found it a special book for dog lovers too. I gave a copy to my daughter as a gift. She's 42!

5.0 out of 5 stars A charming children's book that even adults will love, August 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dog Days: Rhymes Around the Year (Hardcover)

I am still giggling at the original rhymes perfectly paired with imaginative illustrations in this terrific book for young kids that parents will enjoy reading to them time and again. I can't get over the clever, exquisite art work that call to mind works of Mattisse and Chagal.