To Dogs, with Love: A Love Letter to the Dogs Who Help Us

by Maria Gianferrari, Ishaa Lobo (Illustrator)

Overview

A book for anyone who has ever loved a dog.

Dear Dogs,

Thank you for being there when we are sick, or hurt, or in trouble.
Thank you for licks and hugs when we feel down, or just need to smile.
Thank you for all that you do, for always being at our sides.
This is our love letter to you!

Give thanks to every human's best friend, in this sweet and inclusive ode to dogs of all kinds - with an emphasis on service dogs - written by animal expert Maria Gianferrari and illustrated by Ishaa Lobo.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250244949
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	12/05/2023
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	634,352
Product dimensions:	10.10(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Maria Gianferrari is a picture book reading/writing, tea-drinking, dog-loving, birdwatching resident of Massachusetts. She lives with her scientist husband in a house encircled by trees. Maria writes books that honor our bonds with creatures both domestic and wild, and that celebrate the natural world around us.

Ishaa Lobo is a children’s book illustrator based in London. Her art follows themes of nature, comfort, and snippets of everyday life, often drawing inspiration from her childhood. She loves exploring new cities, going on walks, and watching her favorite movies over and over again.

Editorial Reviews

"Pleasingly complex...High fives for this tribute to helper dogs." - Kirkus Reviews

"With emphasis on service and therapy dogs, this ode to all kinds of dogs and all kinds of humans who love them will delight dog-lovers and readers in equal portion." - School Library Journal

"This wholehearted shout-out to our canine companions...explicates the concept of gratitude in action." - Horn Book Magazine

From the Publisher

12/01/2023

PreS-Gr 2—With emphasis on service and therapy dogs, this ode to all kinds of dogs and all kinds of humans who love them will delight dog-lovers and readers in equal portion. Friendly text highlights a dog's virtues, from emotional attributes ("Thank you for your heads that rest on our beds or your bodies that lie on our laps, keeping us calm and connected") to physical ones ("Thank you for your tails that whip and thump and pump, even when they're stubs"). Straightforward illustrations with plenty of cozy domestic touches show people of various skin colors, ages, and abilities and complements the text whenever it highlights the important work of dogs, from grief therapy to courtroom support. VERDICT A humble subject is elevated to an anthem about beloved canine companions; these simple statements of gratitude effectively convey depths of mutual love.—Rebecca Kirshenbaum

School Library Journal

2023-09-23
A thank-you note to therapy dogs of all kinds.

Gianferrari, author of numerous books about animal and human connections, here focuses on dogs as helpers. Gentle text and appealing digital illustrations show canines bringing joy to humans in all kinds of ways. There are support dogs for children in hospitals, courtrooms, and funeral homes, as well as dogs to be read to in libraries. Incarcerated adults are depicted training dogs for therapy roles—an experience that can be just as rewarding for the trainers. With their tail-wagging enthusiasm, soft fur (all the better for cuddling), and attentiveness, dogs provide comfort and confidence. The variety of situations portrayed is wide: We see dogs at work not only in institutions but also in backyards and on beds. In individual scenes and on a final spread showing a dog shelter fundraiser, both dogs and humans range widely in size, shape, age, colors, features, and ability. Though the overall book is simple, the language is pleasingly complex in places, including words like coiffed and nuzzling. Gianferrari has paid careful attention to the sounds of words, with plentiful alliteration and occasional rhyme or repetition. Lobo has included interesting detail; her pictures would also show well to a small group. The book wraps up with a note on therapy dogs and web sources for more information about service dogs.

High fives for this tribute to helper dogs. (Informational picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews