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A World of Dogs: A Celebration of Fascinating Facts and Amazing Real-Life Stories for Dog Lovers
September 3, 2024 by Nosy Crow
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
There are so many facets to understanding the world of dogs, and this beautifully illustrated book does a great job at mentioning many of them. It's a large format picture book, but each page is packed with so much information that it's a good choice for older students who want to dip in and out of a book and find fun facts about dogs.
Different breeds are mentioned, and one of the really interesting things to me was that Sorosiak's own dog is an American dingo, and she wasn't quite sure what that was, which prompted her to delve more deeply into canine research. A lot of facets of dog behavior are covered, and there are snippets of stories sprinkled through the pages which make the book even more engaging. Dog anatomy is not ignored, we see different jobs for dogs, and even dogs in history and art.
While this has a glossary and index, there is not list of resources that were consulted. Considering how many fantastic middle grade books about dogs are out there, I would be very interested in seeing what books Sorosiak used for her research.
Uribe's illustrations are fantastic, and the page design lends itself to lots of information being presented. There are colored text boxes with fun facts, and even the background illustrations are interesting. There is an effort to make the people presented in the book very diverse, which is a great thing to see. The print is on the smaller side, but there's always good color contrast; no orange print on white background, which I find difficult to read. The illustration style is somehow warm and cozy, which is just perfect for a book about our canine companions! This had a very European feel to the design that I have come to expect from Albatros Publishing, and I wasn't surprised to find that Nosy Crow had put this out.
There are a huge number of nonfiction books about dogs, but most have a more narrow focus. Kidd and Braunigan's Pet That Dog: A Handbook for Making Four-Legged Friends discusses how to interact with dogs, Horowitz's Our Dogs, Our Selves is about dog behavior, Evans and Heaton's Atlas of Dogs maps out the history and origins of breeds, Hamilton's Daring Dogs amuses us with stories of famous dogs, and Wheeler-Toppen's Dog Science Unleashed: Fun Activities to Do with Your Canine Companion's title tells us all we need to know. Albee's Dog Days is similar to this title, in that it is more of an inclusive overview. If I had to buy just one book for a young dog enthusiast, I might choose this one, since there are so many topics offered. It will become a very well-used volume, so I would make sure to put a sturdy protective cover on it, because it will no doubt be dragged along on many outings!
September 17, 2024 by Tiger Tales
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
Avery and her family are spending two weeks in a house in the country. At first, she thought this would be boring, but when she sees her room under the thatched roof and realizes that a river is just at the bottom of the garden, she's thrilled to be there. Her mother and father have lots of sightseeing and activities planned, and she gets to have small indulgences, like potato chips on her sandwiches. Avery would like to have her own dog, but when the family is picnicking on the banks, another family's pup jumps out of their boat and comes to greet them. As nice as dogs are to have around, they're a lot of hard work, her mother says. This explains why Avery is reluctant to tell her mother about a small, lost puppy that she has seen hanging around the yard. The puppy is frightened because she was taken away from her mother, put into a box on a truck, and thrown away. Avery sees the dog often, and gives the hungry pooch as much food as she can find. It helps that she talks in a calm and reassuring voice. After her father sees the dog, whom she has named Hazel, in the yard, the two walk to the local veterinarian's office to inquire if anyone has lost a dog. Avery knows that she should tell her folks about the dog, but can't bring herself to do it. When the family has another manor house or museum to visit, Avery is worried that she hasn't seen Hazel and wants to spend the day looking for her. She feigns illness, and her old brother Noah, who is Fifteen, offers to stay with her. Ostensibly reading in the garden, Avery goes off looking for Hazel. Of course, a mist rises, and she twists her ankle, but she does find Hazel. The dog doesn't understand why her friend won't get up and go with her, and eventually goes back to the house, barking to alert Avery's family. There is a brief discussion about what Avery might have been up to with the adorable dog, and the family wisely follows and finds Avery. Once both she and the dog have been checked over, the family decides that Avery is responsible enough to keep Hazel.
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
Avery and her family are spending two weeks in a house in the country. At first, she thought this would be boring, but when she sees her room under the thatched roof and realizes that a river is just at the bottom of the garden, she's thrilled to be there. Her mother and father have lots of sightseeing and activities planned, and she gets to have small indulgences, like potato chips on her sandwiches. Avery would like to have her own dog, but when the family is picnicking on the banks, another family's pup jumps out of their boat and comes to greet them. As nice as dogs are to have around, they're a lot of hard work, her mother says. This explains why Avery is reluctant to tell her mother about a small, lost puppy that she has seen hanging around the yard. The puppy is frightened because she was taken away from her mother, put into a box on a truck, and thrown away. Avery sees the dog often, and gives the hungry pooch as much food as she can find. It helps that she talks in a calm and reassuring voice. After her father sees the dog, whom she has named Hazel, in the yard, the two walk to the local veterinarian's office to inquire if anyone has lost a dog. Avery knows that she should tell her folks about the dog, but can't bring herself to do it. When the family has another manor house or museum to visit, Avery is worried that she hasn't seen Hazel and wants to spend the day looking for her. She feigns illness, and her old brother Noah, who is Fifteen, offers to stay with her. Ostensibly reading in the garden, Avery goes off looking for Hazel. Of course, a mist rises, and she twists her ankle, but she does find Hazel. The dog doesn't understand why her friend won't get up and go with her, and eventually goes back to the house, barking to alert Avery's family. There is a brief discussion about what Avery might have been up to with the adorable dog, and the family wisely follows and finds Avery. Once both she and the dog have been checked over, the family decides that Avery is responsible enough to keep Hazel.
While this is a little bit formulaic (it IS book fifty two in the series!), it is still an intriguing read that I would have enjoyed very much when I was in elementary school. It has a virtual vacation to the countryside, a nice secret for Avery to keep, and an adorable dog all wrapped up in a delectable story sandwich, topped by the crunchy potato sprinkles of a slightly scary adventure.
There was some very good character development when Avery knew that she should tell her family about the dog, but just didn't want to. I liked that the family's point of view is also shown; they knew something was up but weren't really paying much attention. The resolution makes everyone happy, and there isn't any bad feeling on either side, which was a relief.
The publisher's blurb recommends this to fans of Magical Animal Friends, but I don't know that I would. That series has so much fantasy that it might not appeal to the same audiences. Certainly Ellen Miles' The Puppy Place books, Shotz's American Dog books, or Cameron's various Puppy Tales would make great read alikes. I'd be careful about the readers to whom you give this; if you don't want a puppy coming in to your home, this isn't the title to hand one's own children!
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