Sally Goes to the Vet (Hardcover)

by Stephen Huneck (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2–The adventures of the lovable black Labrador continue. Huneck's bold and folksy woodcut prints convey a droll sense of humor and dog's-eye view of the world. In this tale, Sally plays chasing games with her friend, Bingo, the cat. When she is injured, her human rushes her to the vet. When she gets home she cuddles with Bingo to tell her about the veterinary escapade. Huneck manages to infuse some humor into this potentially traumatic episode. He also portrays the doctor visit in such a way that kids should feel reassured by it. Animal lovers and Sally's fans will appreciate this offering.–Be Astengo, Alachua County Library, Gainesville, FL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
PreS-Gr. 2. The irrepressible canine star of three previous adventures (trips to the beach, farm, and mountains) now faces a dreaded trip to the vet. The brief text, narrated in black lab Sally's voice, relates how she fell over a tree stump and hurt herself while chasing her friend Bingo the cat. Her x-ray shows no broken bones, so Sally is allowed to go home and take her medicine. It's the oversize woodcut prints in Huneck's signature folk-art style that make the book memorable. In the clever pictures, humans are represented only by hands and feet and an occasional torso (no faces), and close-ups, such as one showing a tongue depressor approaching Sally's open mouth, allow kids to look right over the vet's shoulder, making Sally's experience more immediate. Burnt orange and yellow backgrounds (and an orange-colored Bingo) contrast nicely with Sally's black shape, which is speckled with fine white lines that give the illusion of hairs. It's an attractively designed tribute to vets that both dog lovers and Sally's fans will like. Julie Cummins
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (April 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810948133
• ISBN-13: 978-0810948136
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 10.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #229,804 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Just Close Your Eyes and Think a Happy Thought", February 11, 2005

By	M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Sally tells this first-person (make that first-dog) tale of her trip to the vet in another Sally series winner from author/illustrator Stephen Huneck. Sally, who is perhaps a black lab mix, is bored inside the house, where the people's homework, urgent memos, passports, old socks, and underwear surround her. Thrilled by a weather change, she goes outside and plays chase with her buddy, tabby cat Bingo. She's so excited that she doesn't see a tree stump, and she falls over, hurt.

She's rushed to the vet ("The nurse explains that 'vet' is short for doctor of veterinary medicine."), where she receives an x-ray (shown to the reader, there are no apparent broken bones), eye, mouth, and stethoscope exams (great close-ups here), and--a shot in the butt! This latter concerns her. When told to think of a happy thought, we see her closed eyes imagining a strawberry ice cream cone! "It really works! I hardly feel a thing." While resting in front of a fireplace with her best pal Bingo, Sally relays her story and the doctor's advice about happy thoughts. In a nice touch, Bingo is shown lying on big Sal's back, thinking of her doggy pal. The book may help allay children's fears of vets, and perhaps of their own doctor visits. While imagining a happy thought may not be sufficient for a young boy or girl, the book at least suggests that there are ways to manage your fears.

The highlights are probably the colorful, glossy, woodcut illustrations, a superb mix of big bold colors and detailed patterns that suggest texture and depth. Huneck seems to enjoy this mode so much that he devotes an opening paragraph in the "artist's note" to an explanation of technique, as well as a grateful note to vets everywhere. This 30-page work is one of those big picture books with simple text that will please toddlers and early readers as well.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Give this book to your vet!, July 18, 2004

By	Mark (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews

I loved the first three sally books, but this one really outdoes itself. Huneck's illustrations are worth framing and thew story lends itself so well to sharing with chilren who are taking their pet to the vet for the first time.

I read this to my daughter as we brought our pet bird in for a checkup and she felt much better. Then I showed it to my vet and he had never seen another book that does such a good job of allevating a child's fear.

Can't wait for the next one!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sally Goes to the Vet, July 10, 2006

By	Jill - See all my reviews

Beautiful illustrations, fun story that will appeal to kids & adults alike