As the owner of a Rottweiler who is every bit as sweet and patient, though perhaps not as good a babysitter, as Carl, I've loved Alexandra Day's books for years. We buy copies for every kid in our circle, and they are always a hit. The illustrations are beautiful and the lack of text (most of the books include no more than a few sentences, and have many pages with no text at all) allows the reader and child to make up their own stories for the pictures, which kids often enjoy. Personally, I far prefer that to reading the same text over and over and over as often happens with a beloved children's book.
The basic plot of each book is the same- Carl the rottie is left in charge of the baby (and in later books, child) and baby and dog have a series of (mis)adventures, but everything comes out well in the end due to Carl's dedication. The detailed, lush illustrations give ample material for making up stories about their activities and most kids are tickled by the sight of a baby and dog doing all sorts of things that in real life they would never get to do alone (going to shops, out for walks, etc).
Disclaimer: Yes, leaving your child alone with a dog is a terrible idea and no one should ever do it in real life. But these are gentle fantasy books, and a far better representation of the temperament of the average gentle giant Rottweiler than most pop cultural references.
This first book in the series, Good Dog Carl, does feature some elements that might be inappropriate for a very young toddler who is prone to imitation- climbing on the dog, playing in a fishtank, etc. That said, for a child who is old enough to understand "We don't ride the dog", it's fine, and the later books in the series are much more clearly fantastical- your child probably won't try to attend a dog show alone with the dog just because they saw it in a book.
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This is a great book, there are only words at the very ...
I purchased the board book version for my almost 16 month old son. This is a great book, there are only words at the very beginning and end of the book so the story on each page really depends on your imagination. All of the Good Dog, Carl books are wordless for the most part which I enjoy but other parents may not. This is a classic book series of a child, a babysitting dog, and their adventures together. My son enjoys flipping through this book on his own and I enjoy pointing to the pages and telling my son about their silly adventures. I recommend these for anyone and plan on getting my son the entire series.
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2015
- Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2023
- Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2024
- Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2024
Top reviews from other countries
- Lynne WestlakeReviewed in Canada on November 14, 2024
An old favourite book for toddlers and preschoolers.
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Lisa A.Reviewed in Italy on September 20, 2020
Carl il Rottweiler doc
Bellissimo libro, pochi parole ma i disegni sono favolosi. Non voglio strappare le pagine ma volevo fare dei quadri!Carl il Rottweiler docLisa A.
Reviewed in Italy on September 20, 2020
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Marie FranceReviewed in France on July 3, 2015
Les bébés aussi ont le droit de faire des bêtises...
