Just didn't do it for me......

books:


	• The Night I Followed the Dog Nina Laden Chronicle Books, 1994 - 32 pages average customer review:based on 21 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

DISAPPOINTING

ANOTHER BOOK W/ RAVE REVIEWS THAT I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND. THE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE GREAT, THE STORY A CLEAVER IDEA, BUT OVERALL IT'S JUST SO-SO. NOT A BOOK TO RE-READ. INSTEAD, TRY TAXI DOG & HARRY THE DIRTY DOG.

Just didn't do it for me......

The catchy cover and title of this book attracted me to it. I read the rave reviews and decided I had to buy it. I'm disappointed but I'm not sure why. I'm sure my kids will like it which of course is the point, however, if your child is a pre-reader, you may groan at having to read this book too often. It's not that it's technically that bad, has a bad moral or anything like that....it's just so, so. The illustrations are nice enough but the story is lacking something, but I'm not sure what...it's just not that interesting..... The text is not written in a standard font, but is interspersed with graphics reminiscent of rebus style puzzles (they are not exactly rebuses but I can't think of the correct word!). At first I thought "that's cute but by the end of the quite long text it had started to become a bit irritating. This is a book that you'd be happy enough to borrow from the library, read and return but I really wish I'd spent my money on another title from my wish list.

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Great, Great, Great!

This book is wonderful! I am a substitute teacher and I carry this book with me just in case. My classes, 1st - 5th, love to listen to this story. It lifts their spirits and gets them giggling. It has saved me many times!

This dog's life...

When a boy discovers his canine returning home one early morning, "stepping out of a limousine and wearing a tuxedo", he is determined to discover what is going on. For the dog in question, life is anything but predictable. Late that night, after his pet retires to his dog house in the back yard, the boy quietly follows, hoping for a clue about his pet's late-night activities. The first thing he notices is that this is no ordinary dog house. Unchanged from the outside, inside there is an elegant living room, a well-appointed bathroom, even a closet filled with fancy clothes. As the boy watches, the dog in question dresses up in his finery, is picked up by a limo and arrives at a secluded club called "The Doghouse". The boy peddles furiously on his bicycle to keep up with the progress of the limo.

The boy is shocked when he discovers his pet's after-hours occupation: the dog runs a club where other dogs come to be entertained, relax and talk about their problems, before returning to the daily tedium of guarding the family home, patrolling the yard, chasing cats and sleeping in the shade. The boy is treated to a tour of the club and even receives a picture with his pet in a luxurious booth. What an eye opening experience! Stunned by all he has learned about the secret life of his dog, the boy peddles home with new appreciation of his best friend's entrepreneurial spirit. This delightful combination of graphic text and energetic illustrations create a lively adventure, as a young boy's world opens up with a sly sense of humor and imagination. The canines are charming, from the handsome star of the story to the slinky poodle and the camera-toting afghan in her hot pink evening gown. After the sun goes down, it's a dog's life. Luan Gaines/2005.

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excellent to stimulate writing

I love this book for a few reasons. One, it is whimsical and very tongue-in-cheek. The dog's 'life' is a great example of personification and a great lead-in for explaining 'voice' to my students when teaching them the process of writing. It helps them 'see' (due to the unigue style of font use) and 'hear' the dog and its feelings in a very clever way. This book has opened many avenues of creativity for my students and really helps them be better creative writers. I read some of the previous reviews and was a bit surprised at the negative comments. As a teacher, I feel kids should be encouraged to read and read often. The language is not immature and actually introduces some good vocabulary, which gets students looking to find out what they mean and how to use them. I think this book is a must for all elementary school classrooms. I have one in mine and highly recommend it. All my students have loved it and I do, too.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

"I have a dog. Nothing exotic or special, just an ordinary dog. In fact, I always thought he was a boring dog. What I mean is, he can fetch, roll over, and shake hands, but mostly he sleeps and eats."
Or so the little boy in this story thinks, until one morning when he opens the door a little early and sees his dog jump out of a limousine. That night he decides to follow his dog, and that's when the fun starts.
Before he knows it, he has entered the little known world of doggy glamour. His dog, distinctly reminiscent of Humphrey Bogart, treats him to a nighttime adventure where he learns where dogs go to relax and sees what they do while their masters are fast asleep. A terrific read aloud, Nina Laden's story will have everyone captivated by the coolest dog around.

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