Good Dad Diego

by Brenna Maloney

Overview

In this humorous celebration of fatherhood, an irresistably adorable (and real!) pug shows what it takes to be a good dad.

Diego is a dog, but he has one of the toughest jobs in the world. Is he a ninja? Nope. Is he a superhero? Nope. Is he a king or a police officer or the president? Nope. Nope. Nope. Diego is a DAD. And that requires the patience and fortitude of all of these positions combined . . . as Diego--an adorable pug--demonstrates in this laugh-out-loud photographic picture book. Admonitions and chores may be somewhat different for dogs: "Stop chewing on the furniture!" "Don't eat cat barf!" But Diego does everything out of love . . . and we get to see the objects of his affection at the end of the story: pug puppies!!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781984835321
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	04/09/2019
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
Lexile:	490L (what's this?)
File size:	9 MB
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

By day, Brenna is an award-winning journalist. A longtime editor for The Washington Post, she is currently the editor of National Geographic Explorer magazine. By night, Brenna stays up late making odd things from socks and eating entirely too many Junior Mints. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband and two young sons. Visit her and her books at brennamaloneydc.com.

Editorial Reviews

03/11/2019

In adorable photographs, Maloney shows Diego the pug sporting hats and other duds that demonstrate many of the jobs that fathers might do (“He wears a lot of hats”). Diego dons a police cap for his role as “the law” (he’s in charge of policing the pooping on floors and digging up of plants) and wears a chef’s toque when cooking dinner (“meat casserole. Again”). Diego cleans (licks) dishes, does laundry (he appears with a pair of Buzz Lightyear underpants on his head), and sets a good example by donning warm winter garb. At last, readers meet the pug puppies that call Diego “Dad.” It’s a one-note gag, but readers will appreciate the humor relating to Diego’s not-always-successful attempts at fatherhood. Ages 3–5. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

2019-03-12
Diego has "one of the toughest jobs in the world": dad.

Diego is one photogenic pug, posed against white backgrounds with a few props while wearing hats signifying different jobs. In a photo of Diego in a police cap, a knocked-over plant and police-line tape on the verso, the text reads: "Sometimes, he has to be ‘The Law.' / ‘Stop digging up the plants!' / ‘No pooping on the floor!' / ‘Don't eat cat barf.' " Other jobs Diego fulfills include cook, nurse, and fix-it guy. But most of all, Diego wants to be a good dad, cleaning the dishes, doing the laundry, mopping, and acting as a role model. A large part of the humor in this book is the juxtaposition of the text with the photos of Diego's wrinkly face. Diego sets an example by always wearing his winter hat in the cold: "I look like an elf." Yes, a grumpy, rather chagrined one. While Diego lacks the sophistication of William Wegman's Weimaraners, he perfectly embodies the feelings of dads everywhere as, after being "Dad"ed for the 12th time, Diego, front legs splayed and chin on the floor, responds, "That's me." Maloney and Kennedy miss an opportunity to show fatherhood in action, though: Diego never interacts with his pup, who's only shown on one spread, albeit five times—or perhaps that's five puppies, each shown once.

A look at the many hats fathers wear, best for dog lovers. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews