Tuesday Storytime: Dogs

Can't have one without the other, right?

A trio of entirely new-to-storytime books, and I enjoyed them all, and so did the kids.  I think the parents might have thought that 1 and 3 were a little on the heavy side, but oh well - life isn't always sunshine and roses, and I like to have a good mash up of reality whenever I can.

Mogie: the heart of the house
Kathi Appelt, illustrated by Marc Rosenthal
ISBN: 9781442480544
Fictionalized Bio: Mogie is a therapy dog at the Houston Ronald McDonald House, and works with children there.

I like that the story is upbeat and focuses on the kids and the dogs, rather than the illnesses or the parents or the place.  Mogie and the kids he helps are described in upbeat action verbs, and illnesses are presented as something temporary (so, perhaps not so good for inspiring kids with terminal diagnoses) and Mogie is the force that helps the kids recover by helping them be emotionally whole again (described in kid terms as "mojo" and "cha-cha-cha" along with a lot of description.  Very nice rendition of a service/therapy dog to counter all the pet stories out there.



Dogs
Emily Gravett
ISBN: 9781416987031
A parade of contrasting dogs; big & little, hairy & bald, sloppy and chic.

Short, sweet, precious, beautifully illustrated, and the stinger at the end is simply perfect.


Don't Lick the Dog: making friends with dogs
Wendy Wahman
ISBN: 9780805087338
Pop-art bright colors, lots of jagged thick black edges and splotches, and generally jarring, electrifying artwork punctuates a set of instructions on safe dog-human interactions.

I think a good few of the parents were giving me side-eye when I read this book, but I'm not sorry.  Someone has to teach kids good manners with strange dogs, and do it in a way that interests them, and doesn't frighten them or confuse them.  This book is perfect.  The art is arresting and forceful, and the pictures are very clear on what to do and how to act in multiple situations where people and dogs are interacting.  Very very good book, and I'll probably use it again in a safety or good manners storytime.