When it comes to writing from the dog’s point of view, this is a clear winner. McLachlan’s adorable poems are featured with fun fonts and accompanied by sweet illustrations by Katy Schneider. One of the strengths of this book is that each dog does have its very own personality, whether it’s Gus, the shepherd who opens the bathroom door to herd his people back to the others, or Louis the Pomeranian who loves to bark, these dogs are individuals. The format is terrific for reading aloud. Unlike some poetry books that crowd multiple poems on a page, the picture book format of a single poem + picture makes this terrific for a snuggle up and read together. Whether in class or at home, elementary aged students can be encouraged to write poems pretending they are their own pets!
Great for: Introducing little ones to poetry. There’s nothing here that’s too difficult to understand, but it’s a real change (and sometimes a step up) from the rhyming silly poetry that children gravitate toward (Shel Silverstein I’m talking about you).
Sex, Nudity, Dating – One reference to underwear.
Profanity – None.
Death, Violence and Gore – None.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – None.
Frightening or Intense Things – None.
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