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children's books

dog wants to play
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Dog Wants To Play

written by Christine Mc Donnell
illustrated by Jeff Mack
Viking  September 2009
ISBN 9780670011261
Ages: infants-preschoolers



Dog wants to play. When? Today!

But no one will play with Dog. Not the chick or the lamb, the calf or the pig. Poor Dog! Isn't there one playmate who will play with Dog all day long? With its structure of rhyme and repetition, this is the perfect book to prepare children for reading, and Jeff Mack's exuberant and funny pictures will keep them turning the pages to enjoy the fun.







"Mack's acrylic illustrations suit the audience, giving a clue as to the next creature Dog hopes to entice into playing with him and investing Dog with considerable charm: His body language speaks volumes... Subtle and sweet." - Kirkus

REVIEWS & AWARDS

Kirkus Reviews

Dog has a ball but no one to play with, and all the farm animals have reasons why they cannot join him. "Dog wants to play. / When? / Today! / ‘Oh no,' says the kitten. / ‘I might get bitten.' " And so it goes, with repetitive phrases and rhyming couplets that are a good match for the youngest listeners. Poor Dog, by turns hopeful and then disheartened, finds that the lamb is too shy, the hare too easily scared, the chick too small and the pig and calf too busy doing their own things. In the end Dog does find the perfect playmate; one who will play not only today, but "all day!" Mack's acrylic illustrations suit the audience, giving a clue as to the next creature Dog hopes to entice into playing with him and investing Dog with considerable charm: His body language speaks volumes. The very simple structure of the text leaves plenty of room for the illustrations to carry the tale, precisely paced page turns encouraging even toddlers to join in with predictions and gently instructing them in narrative pattern. Subtle and sweet. (Picture book. 2-5)