Good Dog
Brave. Happy. Loyal. Gentle. When the stray pup in this story sets his eyes (and heart) on a little girl and her mother, readers can’t help but cheer him on as he follows them through their daily tasks. Not everyone he encounters sees him as a good dog, but the reader is privy to all of his wonderful qualities. Each of his emotions and qualities are connected to illustrations that draw readers in and prompt meaningful discussion. At the end of the story, “stray dog” becomes “my dog,” as he joins the family he loves so much. Just as the dog in this story secures a home, Good Dog will secure a spot on your list of favorite books.
Pennsylvania Center for the Book Awards
Book Activities & Discussion Ideas
With just two words per page, and one of them being, “dog,” children will easily join in during repeated readings of this sweet story; and they may even want to read the book independently. You can extend this story into a writing and drawing activity by looking back through the book while pointing out some of the words the author used to describe the dog’s traits (brave) or feelings (lonely). How do the pictures help illustrate this? Explore words that might describe a dog—friendly, excited, afraid, etc. Encourage children to draw a dog, and then help them write a descriptive label for their picture. Share finished pictures with one another, post them or collect them into a book for children to look at and read.
Point out that in picture books, stories often begin before the first words appear. This is one of those books, so remind parents to encourage children to observe the pictures in the beginning endpapers, dedication, and title pages. These pictures set the stage, physically and emotionally, for the story that follows. After you finish reading the story, compare and talk about the front and back endpapers. Though this book has few words per page, much of the story is told in the pictures, so be sure to take time to talk about what’s happening and how the dog and little girl are feeling.