A Lucky Author Has a Dog

by Mary Lyn Ray, Steve Henry (Illustrator), Steven Henry (Illustrator)

Overview

For every aspiring young author out there, this story of a lucky author (and, of course, her dog!) offers both answers and inspiration!

Ever wonder what it's like to be an author?Does she write in a quiet corner somewhere? Or someplace loud and busy? Does she have ideas forty times a day? Or does she sometimes get stuck? And how does her dog make her lucky?New York Times bestselling author Mary Lyn Ray, together with illustrations from Steven Henry (Ella the Elegant Elephant) that are chock full of hidden jokes, answers these questions and more in a story of one writer, her furry friend, and a school visit that brings authors young and old (and dogs!) together.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545622622
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	09/29/2015
Sold by:	Scholastic, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
Lexile:	AD480L (what's this?)
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Steven Henry (formerly D'Amico) began drawing dinosaurs and superheroes at the age of five and was the cartoonist for his high school newspaper. He studied art and design at Cornish College of the Arts and eventually became senior art director at Seattle-based Smashing Ideas. He is the illustrator of several children's books, including the award-winning Ella the Elegant Elephant. An animated TV series based on the Ella books premiered in the United States on the Disney Junior channel in 2014.
Mary Lyn Ray has written many acclaimed books for children, including New York Times bestseller and ALA Notable Book Stars, illustrated by Marla Frazee; Pumpkins, illustrated by Barry Root; Mud, illustrated by Lauren Stringer; and Go to Sleep, Little Farm, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. Because she always wanted to be a writer, she says a young reader got it right when he wrote to her, "You are the most hapyest author I ever met." She lives on an old farm in South Danbury, New Hampshire, with her dog, who makes her lucky.

Editorial Reviews

07/06/2015
An author describes the habits, pitfalls, and quirks of her work, with her scrappy fuzzy dog close at hand. The dog stays nearby when she’s writing and joins her for walks past brownstones, cafes, and a bookstore, lovingly depicted in illustrations infused with a sense of calmness. For all Ray’s emphasis on the pleasures of having a dog, the book is really about the routines of a writer—school visits, idea-gathering, odd hours, etc. It may demystify the writing life for some curious readers, but it’s an oddly rambling, inward-looking attempt to do so. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Robin Rue, Writers House. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Mary Lyn Ray's Stars*"Ray (Christmas Farm) and Frazee (The Boss Baby), two big talents beating as one, assemble a cast of junior philosophers to help them muse on why stars — as celestial bodies, as shapes, as symbols, as talismans — hold so much meaning and mystery for us... while the prevailing tone is contemplative, it's more quirky than languid, capturing the delicious freedom of Ray's mind at play. Her prose wanders in the best sense of the word..." — Publishers Weekly, starred review*"Ray's simple ode to stars is an engaging concept book... [Stars] celebrates everyday experiences of children, prompting observation of the world around us, and it's beautifully structured for eliciting children's conversation and response. There are bits of humor and poetry, an engaging cast of players/star watchers, and many possibilities for pairing the book with crafts, activities, and other books, too." — School Library Journal, starred reviewPraise for Mary Lyn Ray's Red Rubber Boot Day"This exuberantly glowing book will make readers want to go out and slap in some puddles." — Kirkus Reviews "A welcome addition for any library... A great choice whether read aloud or alone on a rainy day." — School Library JournalPraise for Steven D'Amico's Ella the Elegant Elephant"[L]ovely, whimsical art, in a soft, rich palette and style that evokes the work of H. A. Rey and recalls Ludwig Bemelmans's Madeline..." — BooklistPraise for Steven D'Amico's Ella Takes the Cake*"The pictures evoke both de Brunhoff and Rey, but charming Ella makes the story her own. Especially fine are D'Amico's detailed, richly colored settings, always focused on what kids want to see. This has favorite book potential." — Booklist, starred review

From the Publisher

10/01/2015
K-Gr 2—Ray's new picture book shows a day in the life of an author who works from home. The author lives in a brownstone in a city with her small dog. "So the dog brings ideas. A lucky author has a dog who helps." Children will smile when they see how the tongue-in-cheek writing is complemented and extended by Henry's realistic pencil and digital illustrations. When the author goes into an elementary school, her advice inspires the children to write stories of their own, even if they don't have a real dog. VERDICT The autumn setting makes this a perfect book to read during the first months of school or in preparation for an author visit.—Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada

School Library Journal

2015-04-15
This author couldn't get by without her dog. Ray's unnamed protagonist, an adult writer for children, wakes in the morning to her dog's kiss. She works with her dog beside her. They go for a walk, eat dinner, go to sleep. One day the author visits a school, where the students love her. Throughout, the dog leads the author to inspiration, provides distraction when necessary, and keeps her company (except on the school visit). The final page depicts a little girl presumably inspired by that author's visit, lying on her bed with a stuffed toy dog beside her and writing in a notebook. This subtle message may well be lost on young readers, and anyway, it is not much of a payoff for what is essentially a plotless book without a problem to be solved. Henry's watercolors convey city life in a muted palette, dotting the crowd and classroom scenes with a few dark-skinned faces; both the author and the inspired little girl are white. Unfortunately, neither the author nor the dog emerges with much kid appeal. The whole package seems designed more for well-meaning adults than children; even then, interest will be limited. A surprising miss from an author whose books for young readers are usually spot-on. (Picture book. 4-6)

Kirkus Reviews