See the Dog: Three Stories About a Cat

by David LaRochelle, Mike Wohnoutka (Illustrator)

Overview

What happens when a cat tries to be a dog? With this second wry primer, the creators of See the Cat return to demonstrate that standing in for a friend can be trickier than expected.

The dog is sick today, but have no fear—the cat is happy to take his place! But when the book (who is very bossy) tells her to dig a hole, the dirt-averse cat finds a way to accomplish the task while keeping her fur pristine. And when the book demands that she fetch a stick (in the water!) or guard a sheep (from a wolf!), the cat responds in very un-doglike ways. Can the book and the cat reach a happy ending? With simple, repetitive phrases and tongue-in-cheek humor, this spoof on a classic early reader pits a well-meaning but slightly dramatic cat against a highly persistent book in a comical battle of wits that will have kids yowling.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536225624
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	09/14/2021
Series:	See the Cat
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	9 MB
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

David LaRochelle is the author of many books for young readers, including Isle of You, illustrated by Jaime Kim, and How to Apologize and See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog, both illustrated by Mike Wohnoukta. See David LaRochelle in White Bear Lake, Minnesota.

Mike Wohnoutka has illustrated more than thirty books for young readers, including How to Apologize and See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog, both by David LaRochelle. He is also the author-illustrator of several picture books, including the Croc&Turtle series. See Mike Wohnoutka in Minneapolis.

I’ve always loved making things. Construction paper, scissors, and crayons were my favorite toys growing up. My neighbor LuAnn and I made Christmas decorations all summer long and performed paper bag puppet shows for our family and friends in our backyards. In college I studied art and English, but when I was turned down for a job as an illustrator by Hallmark cards, I decided to become an elementary-school teacher instead. I loved being a teacher, especially reading to my students, inventing games to play in class, and thinking of fun writing and drawing projects, but I knew that someday I wanted to create books for kids…and that’s exactly what happened.

My first book, A Christmas Guest, was published in 1988. Since then I’ve had more than thirty books published, including Isle of You, How Martha Saved Her Parents from Green Beans, and Moo!, a story using only one word (well, maybe two). One of the best things about being an author is that I get to visit schools across the country, and even around the world. I talk to kids about books, writing, and drawing — all the fun parts of being a teacher without having to correct homework or fill out report cards.

Three Things You Might Not Know about Me:

I love carving pumpkins. I’ve even been on national television with my jack-o’-lanterns. You can view some of my pumpkin creations at www.davidlarochelle.com.

I love entering contests. The first prize I ever won was a transistor radio in a coloring contest when I was six. After I won a seven-minute grocery shopping spree when I was fourteen, I was hooked. Several of my books, including my first book, were originally written for contests.

I love playing games. My current favorite is Dominion, but I also like Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, Boggle, and many, many more.

Editorial Reviews

Gouache illustrations capture the hilarity and readers will enjoy the three vignettes that provide a complete narrative arc of Cat’s day subbing in for Dog. . . . Using simple language, humorous speech bubbles, and laugh-out loud funny illustrations ­LaRochelle has another winning early chapter book that readers will enjoy having read to them as well as conquering on their own.
—School Library Journal (starred review)

The playful rebellion against the repetitive Dick-and-Jane pattern makes for nonstop, rip-roaring fun. Using around 130 words and their variants, the careful yet deliciously over-the-top writing keeps the text accessible yet engaging. Wohnoutka’s full-color cartoon illustrations hilariously accentuate the cat’s histrionics. While most illustrations appear solely on the recto, a few well-placed double-page spreads add some delightful surprises. . . . See this book fly off the shelves.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

The subversion of the static text with contradicting or simply goofy visuals cleverly brings the story to a meta level, but youngsters can still hone their burgeoning skills on the narrator’s direct, simple sentences. Fans of See the Cat will be delighted to see the cat here, as will readers of Willems’ We Are in a Book! (BCCB 10/10) and Scieszka’s Battle Bunny (BCCB 12/13).
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

The seemingly straightforward text sets up the wonderfully comical gouache illustrations. . . A well-designed, irresistibly funny sequel for beginning readers.
—Booklist

LaRochelle's few but hilarious words and Wohnoutka's cheery illustrations are a winning combination.
—The Star Tribune

Early readers will eagerly recite and then read these total hoots again and again, which is the goal.
—Arkansas-Democrat Gazette

A clever premise, a rollicking pace and exuberant illustrations make ‘See the Dog’ a must-see choice.
—The Florida Times-Union

The sprightly fun is creatively written using simple text, making this a must-have confidence-builder for early readers with a keen sense of humor.
—The Toledo Blade

With repetition and lots of silliness, this book is sure to become a treasured favorite.
—Brightly

From the Publisher

★ 07/01/2021

K-Gr 2—A winning follow-up to See the Cat, and a counterpoint of the previous title with three stories about Cat trying to take the role of Dog due to illness. Cat has his own take on some canine activities (for example, digging is not good for the nails or fur in Cat's opinion). Gouache illustrations capture the hilarity and readers will enjoy the three vignettes that provide a complete narrative arc of Cat's day subbing in for Dog. VERDICT Using simple language, humorous speech bubbles, and laugh-out loud funny illustrations LaRochelle has another winning early chapter book that readers will enjoy having read to them as well as conquering on their own.—John Scott, Friends Sch. of Baltimore

School Library Journal

★ 2021-07-27
A cat takes a sick dog’s place as the protagonist of three silly stories.

In the same vein as predecessor See the Cat (2020), LaRochelle and Wohnoutka’s latest collaboration plays out as a running argument between narrator and animal character. When the verso text reads “See the dog,” a blue cat appears on the recto. The cat declares via speech bubble that they’ve been asked to take the dog’s place because he is sick. At first, the cat revels in the make-believe—with a few slip-ups. But the narrator’s asks are met with resistance when the cat’s comfort zone is crossed. In Story Number One, the cat listens to the “bossy book” and digs—albeit using an excavator. The narrator abruptly interrupts the cat’s fun with a “See the dog STOP digging holes!” In Story Number Two, the cat begrudgingly jumps into the lake (which is really more of a pond) and immediately yells for help. Story Number Three puts the cat in charge of protecting a sheep from a wolf. The playful rebellion against the repetitive Dick-and-Jane pattern makes for nonstop, rip-roaring fun. Using around 130 words and their variants, the careful yet deliciously over-the-top writing keeps the text accessible yet engaging. Wohnoutka’s full-color cartoon illustrations hilariously accentuate the cat’s histrionics. While most illustrations appear solely on the recto, a few well-placed double-page spreads add some delightful surprises.

See this book fly off the shelves. (Early reader. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews