It's a Dog's Life: How Man's Best Friend Sees, Hears, and Smells the World

by Susan E. Goodman, David Slonim (Illustrator)

Overview

Have you ever wondered what your dog sees when he looks at a sunset? Or what she smells when she has her nose to the ground? And what IS your pooch trying to say when he looks at you with those big puppy eyes? With a thoroughly silly text and adorable illustrations, IT'S DOG'S LIFE answers those questions and a whole lot more. Covering everything from dog breeds to their evolution and behavior, this accessible nonfiction book is sure to satisfy even the most voracious fact hounds.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781466816374
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	07/03/2012
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	23 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Susan E. Goodman likes taking long walks, would never put a dog in a costume, and is a soft touch when it comes to giving out treats. She is a busy author whose recent books include See How They Run: Campaign Dreams, Election Schemes and the Race to the White House and All in Just One Cookie, an ALA Notable.

David Slonim's dog, Maggie, has taught him many things about dogness, including how to bark your head off when the doorbell rings, how to lie around doing nothing, and how to eat without chewing. David is the award-winning author/ illustrator of He Came with the Couch and Oh Ducky!. He has illustrated many other books, including Ten Turkeys in the Road, How to Teach a Slug to Read, Silly Tilly and Moishe's Miracle, a New York Times Top 10 Books of the Year selection.

Editorial Reviews

A wisecracking dog narrates this off-the-cuff look at the “secret life” of his species. Goodman (See How They Run) opens with a brief overview of dogs’ rapport with early humans and their subsequent roles (honed through breeding) as hunters, herders, haulers, and guide dogs. Noting “we take this best friend business very seriously,” the canine narrator then offers an anecdotal discussion of dogs’ sharp hearing, keen sense of smell, variable eyesight (“we’re not the best at seeing details”), and methods of communication, including barking, tail wagging, and body language. Providing solid likenesses of a range of breeds, Slonim’s (10 Turkeys in the Road) cartoons suit the upbeat, comedic tone of the text (“We pee on every rock and tree for good reason. Think of that telephone pole as a newspaper or pee-mail”). Additional information from “a human point of view” closes out the book and expands on topics covered earlier (“The section of a dog’s brain devoted to smell is forty times bigger than in human ones”). An agreeable and enlightening jumble of facts and humor. Ages 6–9. (July)

Publishers Weekly

With its goofy, informative charm, this has potential for readers hurried or reluctant as well as simply dog-loving…” —BCCB

“Children will be barking up the right tree with this enjoyable read.” —Kirkus

“An agreeable and enlightening jumble of facts and humor.” —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

Gr 1–4—This fun and funny book explores the history, sensory reality, and "secret life" of dogs. Supported by Slonim's pitch-perfect cartoon illustrations, the canine narrator describes how dogs became domesticated, how they developed into different breeds, and why they do things like stick their heads out of car windows. (In case you're wondering, it's because their sense of smell works even better when they are moving quickly.) With a great deal of information presented in a humorous, engaging way, this title is ideal for young dog lovers, including reluctant readers.—Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD

School Library Journal

Speaking on behalf of canines, narrator Johnny Heller delivers a spirited performance of Goodman's fact-filled look at dogs, setting the record straight about why dogs do what they do. Dogs and people do not “see eye to eye or hear ear to ear,” after all. Balancing the engaging mix of the informative and the sentimental, Heller informs listeners about the curiosities of canine behavior and encourages a greater level of understanding. Christina Moore finishes the presentation by offering a human point of view. Her clear narration of a concise history of dogs rounds out this engaging introduction to man's best friend. A.S. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

JANUARY 2013 - AudioFile

(A lot of) everything kids ever wanted to know about dogs--but couldn't ask. Now, the bare bones of doggy secrets are revealed. Readers will pore over and savor this slim, well-paced guide, which is narrated in friendly, conversational tone by a scruffily engaging mutt. Wittily illustrated in child-appealing, cartoony watercolors and chock-full of simple explanations of why man's best friends do what they do, this is just the book for younger dog lovers, dog owners and wannabes. They'll learn why our four-legged friends will eat almost anything (they have far fewer taste buds than humans), why they run from vacuum cleaners (supersensitive hearing), why they love hanging out of car windows (their sense of smell works better at high speed), and what those urine spatters on fire hydrants really mean (doggy newspapers). Who knew a dog's inability to see colors well derives from prehistoric feeding habits? Sadly, some misspellings, including "Dalmation," were not caught in copy editing. Children will be barking up the right tree with this enjoyable read. There's still no telling why dogs run after letter carriers, though.… (bibliography) (Nonfiction. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews