Good Dog

by Cori Doerrfeld, Cori Doerrfeld (Illustrator)

Overview

This charming picture book, from the author-illustrator of The Rabbit Listened, follows an adorable stray puppy who exemplifies what it truly means to be a “good dog.”

“Good Dog stole my heart. A satisfying tale of a stray dog who finds his person.”—The New York Times Book Review

When a puppy in need of a friend follows a kind girl into town, he lands himself into all sorts of trouble. He gets lost. He’s nearly run over. And he gets chased out of a bakery for being a “bad dog.”

But when the pup and the girl reunite in the park and she leaves behind her favorite doll, the puppy has a chance to prove just what a good dog he really is!

This heartwarming story told with bold, beautiful illustrations and sparse text is a perfect read-aloud book and great for beginning readers.

Families who enjoyed Kelly DiPucchio’s bestselling Gaston, Patrick McDonnell’s lovable characters, and Mike Twohy’s award-winning Oops, Pounce, Quick, Run! will fall in love with Cori Doerrfeld’s Good Dog.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062662866
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	08/07/2018
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	1,025,563
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Cori Doerrfeld comes from a long line of animal lovers. Near Chicago where she grew up, her grandma was one of the first volunteers at a rescue organization called Helping Paws. While Cori had many different dogs as a child, it was definitely love at first sight when she recently rescued her dog, Rufus. Other things Cori loves are drawing pictures of animals, her husband, her two children, and her current hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota. You can visit her online at www.coridoerrfeld.com

Cori Doerrfeld comes from a long line of animal lovers. Near Chicago where she grew up, her grandma was one of the first volunteers at a rescue organization called Helping Paws. While Cori had many different dogs as a child, it was definitely love at first sight when she recently rescued her dog, Rufus. Other things Cori loves are drawing pictures of animals, her husband, her two children, and her current hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota. You can visit her online at www.coridoerrfeld.com

Editorial Reviews

…[a] playful…satisfying tale…Each page has just two words, one of them "dog"—"hungry dog," "hopeful dog," "brave dog"—while Doerrfeld's soft, pleasingly round illustrations make clear what's happening.

The New York Times Book Review - Maria Russo

06/11/2018
A black-and-white stray with a wistful look grabs a chance to do good in this story by Doerrfeld (The Rabbit Listened). The dog spots a neighborhood preschooler and her mother headed for the park, then follows her, saves her stuffed animal, returns it, and finds a new home in the process. The text is the twist: it’s a series of fixed, easy-to-read phrases (“Sad dog. Good dog! Hopeful dog. Search dog.”) that follow a variety of pooches throughout the pages. “Sad dog” follows a spread of the hungry stray getting booted from a bakery while another owner says “Good dog!” to his own hound. “Hopeful dog” describes the stray as it trails the girl to the park, and “Search dog” accompanies its setting out to find her among hordes of diverse park-goers. Doerrfeld’s spreads recall Lauren Castillo’s, with friendly figures outlined in soft black. This dose of cuteness also provides a tale of heroism, in which the stray dog’s watchfulness and initiative earn it a new chance at life. Ages 4–8. Agent: Rachel Orr, Prospect Agency. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Good Dog: ★ “The pup’s struggles and emotions are ingeniously conveyed. This delightful story will appeal to everyone from younger preschoolers to new readers to dog lovers of any age.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Good Dog stole my heart. A satisfying tale of a stray dog who finds his person.” — New York Times Book Review

“Doerrfeld’s spreads recall Lauren Castillo’s, with friendly figures outlined in soft black. This dose of cuteness also provides a tale of heroism, in which the stray dog’s watchfulness and initiative earn it a new chance at life.” — Publishers Weekly

“The artwork is charming. A heartwarming story with lovable characters that’s certain to charm young readers.” — School Library Journal

“Certain to pluck heartstrings. This book deserves to have a forever home on children’s bookshelves.” — The Missourian

Praise for The Rabbit Listened: ★ “A story that’s wise, funny, and easy to take to heart.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

★ “This appealing work is an excellent addition to any emotional-intelligence shelf.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

★  ”This is a delightful picture book with a lot of meaning.” — School Library Connection (starred review)

From the Publisher

Certain to pluck heartstrings. This book deserves to have a forever home on children’s bookshelves.

The Missourian

★  ”This is a delightful picture book with a lot of meaning.

School Library Connection (starred review)

Good Dog stole my heart. A satisfying tale of a stray dog who finds his person.

New York Times Book Review

★  ”This is a delightful picture book with a lot of meaning.

School Library Connection

★ 2018-04-25
An appealing black-and-white dog finds a home with a little girl and her parents after rescuing the child's lost teddy bear. A striking cover presents a simple, inviting image of the little dog with a quizzical expression. The story begins on the front endpapers with multiple spot illustrations of the dog looking sad and lonely. The dedication double-page-spread shows the dog observing a little girl and her mom leaving their house for a bike ride, with the child in her own little seat holding her teddy bear. Each page or spread has just two words of text, with a different adjective modifying the word "dog." The pup's struggles and emotions are ingeniously conveyed with this textual device, following the dog through danger, hunger, loneliness, and the brave restoration of the missing bear to the little girl. In a touching conclusion, the hopeful child asks her parents, "My dog?" Teddy bear, girl, and dog are ready to start their new life together on the last spread with a gigantic speech balloon stating, "Good dog." The little girl has brown skin and black hair in cornrows, like her dad, and her mom has light skin. A busy scene at a city park shows a vibrant community with people of different ethnicities and ages, including several with disabilities. Digitally produced illustrations use a muted palette with smudgy edges and heavy, black outlines delineating the characters, complementing a thoughtful, well-paced design.This delightful story will appeal to everyone from younger preschoolers to new readers to dog lovers of any age. (Picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews