A Dog Wearing Shoes

by Sangmi Ko, Sangmi Ko (Illustrator)

Overview

This sweet and hilarious doggy adoption tale features a pooch wearing—wait for it—bright yellow shoes.
 
When Mini finds a small moppet of a dog, with fluffy ears, no collar, and wearing yellow booties, she understandably wants to take it home. Despite Mom's insistence that the dog probably already has a family, Mini gets attached and is awfully proud of her new pal, who can sing, sit, and give both paws. But when the pup runs off one day at the park, Mini comes to understand how someone else out there might be missing the little guy too.
 
This story, by a debut author/illustrator, perfectly captures the undeniable bond between dog and owner.

"A charming tale of compassion and empathy, with a resonant message about getting your new best friend at the animal shelter." —Patrick McDonnell, creator of MUTTS

"Immensely funny.... Comedic pacing and simultaneously scrupulous and silly artwork will leave readers howling." —Kirkus Reviews, Starred

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780385383981
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	09/29/2015
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	33 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Sangmi Ko makes her picture book debut with A Dog Wearing Shoes, which is based on a true story. Her niece once found a lost dog with shoes on, and after returning him to his owner, she adopted a dog named Ray. Sangmi lives and works in Seoul, South Korea, with two adopted dogs, White and Malti.

Editorial Reviews

…wonderfully told…Ko's illustrations are in pencil with tiny pops of color, and adroitly straddle the line between cartoon and more illustrative art, like a drawing by Sempé…There's interesting pacing borrowed from sequential comics, and a lovely afterword with information about pet adoption.

The New York Times Book Review - Lisa Brown

"Comedic pacing and simultaneously scrupulous and silly artwork will leave readers howling." 
—Kirkus Reviews starred review

From the Publisher

06/01/2015
PreS-Gr 1—When Mini and her mother are driving home one day, they come across a lost dog. Though her mother points out that the dog's yellow shoes mean he probably has an owner who misses him, the young girl is determined to keep him. But after the dog runs off again, Mini realizes that she needs to track down his real family. The book ends on a happy note, however, with Mini learning a lesson about responsible pet ownership. Rendered in pencil, with splashes of color added digitally (the yellow of the shoes, the red of a leash), the black-and-white illustrations are immensely appealing. With exaggerated bug-eyed, wide-grinned expressions, Mini is wonderfully endearing, while the dog, a long-nosed little bundle of energy, will have children clamoring for their own canine companion (the appended tips on dog adoption may come in handy). This is a gently told, familiar story, though certainly one that will readily find an audience, but the visuals save it from becoming humdrum. Ko makes excellent use of shading, with detailed and sophisticated results, from the traffic jam in the opening spread to Mini's living room. Infused with movement and life, these illustrations will have kids and adults alike enthralled. VERDICT A lovely, if slightly predictable, pet story.—Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal

School Library Journal

★ 2015-06-23
After spotting a scrawny dog in a swirl of city traffic and taking it home, Mini wants to call it her very own, but her mom suggests a dog with shoes must have an owner. Pencil illustrations crackle with humor even before the title page, showing the mother and daughter right before they almost hit the little doggy in its teensy yellow shoes. The two sit, eyes glazed-over, sedated by traffic boredom, when suddenly hands and arms fly skyward, sunglasses fall askew, mouths gape, brakes slam, and eyes swirl dizzy and disoriented—finally coming to rest on a panting, happy hound. Energetic artwork and evocative facial reactions make the unfolding of a lost-dog story immensely funny. With the yellow of the dog's shoes serving as the illustrations' sole color, readers' eyes end up lingering on linework and quirky background details. Mostly it's the faces children will enjoy deciphering, though, as people and pups wear wonderfully exaggerated expressions. After the dog almost gets lost again (she's a runner), Mini knows how her owner must feel and sets about finding that person, pinning posters everywhere in her neighborhood. A happy reunion and a doggy adoption bring smiles. Comedic pacing and simultaneously scrupulous and silly artwork will leave readers howling. (Picture book. 2-6)

Kirkus Reviews