I Didn't Do It

by Patricia MacLachlan, Katy Schneider (Illustrator), Emily MacLachlan Charest

Overview

What makes a puppy's day complete?

Swimming and then shaking water all over you. Catching "presents" for you and then bringing them inside the house. Rolling in your nice wool sweater. Snuggling in your lap.

In their second ode to canine companions, Patricia MacLachlan, Emily MacLachlan Charest, and Katy Schneider once again offer an irresistible glimpse into the mischievous canine mind. Captured here are adorable confessions and spirited accounts of the things that puppies do—and don't do—while in search of love, adventure, and treats from the table.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061358333
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	10/05/2010
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Patricia MacLachlan (1938-2022) was the celebrated author of many timeless books for young readers, including Sarah, Plain and Tall, winner of the Newbery Medal. She was also the author of many beloved picture books, a number of which she cowrote with her daughter, Emily.

Katy Schneider lives in Northampton, Massachusetts, with her husband, Dave, and three children, Olive, Mae, and Ellis. She is the illustrator of Painting the Wind and Once I Ate a Pie and exhibits her paintings nationwide.

Emily MacLachlan Charest lives with her husband, her children, Sofia and Nicholas, two dogs, and one oversized cat, Romeo, who thinks he's a dog. She works with young children. She is the coauthor of Bittle, Painting the Wind, Once I Ate a Pie, and other books. She lives in Massachusetts.

Editorial Reviews

Whoooooooo's a good doggie? In this follow-up to Once I Ate a Pie (2006), the soulful-eyed canine poets certainly believe they are. The narrator of one poem declares: "I'm perfect./ I know because they tell me so," which mitigates the fact that "I only chewed one thing, one time." In "Rules," it's asserted that obedience is a state of mind: "Here are my rules:/ Eat all you want./ Sleep when you want--/ On the couch/ On the bed/ On your silk pillow./ Drooling is good." Once again, this mother-daughter team's short, blank verses and Schneider's boldly brush-stroked portraits unleash the adorable canine id in all its (mostly) unrepentant, cuddly glory without teetering into preciousness. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

The mother-and-daughter team MacLachlan & Charest and able artist Schneider present another charming volume of verses showing the thoughts of puppies of many breeds (Once I Ate a Pie, 2006). From the true-to-life portrait of an animated, very dachshund-ish dachshund on the dust jacket (accurate down to the tail and appealing eyes) to the rueful beagle on the colophon, these pups all express their takes on the world they share with humans. The verses are short, and the authorsseem to understand canines and their likes, dislikes and self-discipline (or the lack thereof). Humor abounds, as do the activities, all illustrated in lively, textured oil paintings that make breeds clearly recognizable. From the flying ears of jumping dogs and the somewhat guilty "I didn't do it" look of a puppy surrounded by chewed-up rubble, the illustrator gives readers a series of winning portraits. If dogs could talk (and of course they do), they would say what this team has translated for us, the two-foots in the world of the four-foots: Even if I did do it, you love me anyway. (Picture book/poetry. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews

PreS-Gr 3—Distinct puppy personalities shine through in 14 poems. As in the companion Once I Ate a Pie (HarperCollins, 2006), the free verses are told from each dog's point of view. A small terrier objects to his owner's "Rules" and offers up his own code of conduct: "Drooling is good….Get muddy. Be happy. Howl!" A black Labrador retriever with woebegone eyes staring straight at readers sits in a bathtub and itemizes "What I Don't Like." The list includes "My food/I like yours better./The mailman/Every single day he comes!" Schneider's striking oil paintings not only capture the impulsive and impetuous nature of pups, but also show such tender moments as newborns, "Born in the soft overcoat quiet of someone's closet," nestled together. An irresistible treat for animal lovers.—Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada

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