Elizabeth Bluemle
Theo, our Buddhist dog, looking indignant. He is doubtless wondering why on earth I would point a box at him and click, when I could be throwing his bally.
Inky as a puppy. He looks totally wiped out here; probably tuckered out after a long game of "Take Theo's toys." A total marshmallow once he gets to know people, Inky is quite barky and alarming with strangers. But we love him anyway.
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My Father, the DogAttention Target shoppers! MY FATHER THE DOG will be featured in Target's Father's Day displays this spring. I hope a whole new crop of dads, moms, and kids will get lots of laughs from the book. If you see the book at your local Target and send me a photo, I'll put your name in a drawing for prizes: autographed books by me and children's-book artists and authors including Tomie DePaola, Grace Lin, Linda Sue Park, and Carrie Jones.Have you ever noticed certain similarities between your father and, say, a lab or golden retriever? Many dads have a whole lot in common with friendly, lovable, sometimes barky dogs. Dads and dogs can be so similar, in fact, that the young narrator of My Father the Dog is suspicious.
"My father pretends to be human, but I know he is really a dog," she says. "Consider the evidence." She proceeds to lay out an inarguable case, citing newspaper fetching, ball chasing, treat loving, pit stops against trees, and many more qualities of loyal, lovable, family-protecting dads and the dogs they resemble. If you doubt the similarities, just read this book to any dog -- or dad. They'll back me up. FULL REVIEWSPublishers Weekly
"My father pretends to be human, but I know he is really a dog," begins bookseller Bluemle's appealingly flippant debut. Backing up her assertion, the girl narrator explains that, like her dog, her father fetches the newspaper, likes to ride in the car with the breeze on his face, and "growls when you startle him out of a nap." A couple of manners-bending comparisons will elicit snickers from kids, as parent and pooch (discreetly) use a tree "for a quick pit stop" and the two sit on the couch looking deceptively nonchalant as the youngster notes, "When he toots, he looks around the room like someone else did it." Depicting these human and canine characters in various parallel positions, the art comically captures the similarities between man and pet. Cecil (And Here's to You! ) nicely alters the pacing with oval-shaped illustrations that give way to full-bleed spreads (e.g., for "If you throw a ball, he'll chase after it," Dad and dog cover the backyard to make a catch), and his textured brushstrokes work effectively as blades of grass or as fibers on the couch. A final comment, which the girl makes while patting her father's head at bedtime, ends the book on a note at once sweet and sassy: "My father is loyal and thinks we're the best family in the world... which is good, 'cause Mom says we can keep him." Young dog lovers will lap this up. Ages 4-7.(May) Copyright © 1997-2005 Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. School Library Journal BLUEMLE, Elizabeth. My Father the Dog. illus. by Randy Cecil. unpaged. Candlewick. 2006. RTE $15.99. ISBN 0-7636-2222-2. LC number unavailable. PreS-Gr 3–In this funny picture book, a young narrator shares her unusual concern: “My father pretends to be human, but I know he is really a dog.” She goes on to list the undeniable evidence: he likes a good scratch, growls when he is suddenly awakened from a nap, and when he toots, he looks around as if someone else were responsible. The illustration of the girl peeking under the dining table to see if he is begging for treats offers a clever shift in perspective. The clean, yet warm oil paintings are the perfect accompaniment to the understated and almost deadpan delivery, and they enhance the humor of this doggone good tale. It’s ideal for storytimes or one-on-one sharing. –Piper L. Nyman, formerly at Fairfield Civic Center Library, CA |
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