Spare Dog Parts

by Alison Hughes Narrated by Heather Gould

Overview

A stumpy tail, mismatched paws, a long, drooly snout and the biggest dog heart that ever beat. In a celebration of what makes a pet unique, a little girl imagines how an odd assortment of parts combined to make the perfect dog.


With spare, inviting text from Alison Hughes and charmingly offbeat illustrations by award-winning illustrator Ashley Spires, this gorgeous picture book is sure to be an instant classic.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

11/02/2015
Sure, purebred dogs are special, but is anything more lovable than a mutt? Not for the heroine of this collaboration between Hughes (Gerbil, Uncurled) and Spires (Edie’s Ensembles), who opens the book by proudly claiming that “When my dog was made, they used leftover parts.” Spires’s ink-and-watercolor illustrations reveal just how true that is: this dog is a Frankensteinian creation with patches of tan and gray fur stitched and stapled together, four mismatched legs (one perhaps coming from a donor Dalmatian), and a pair of “melting, soft brown eyes” that provide comfort just when it’s needed. There’s no denying the tenderness between this lab-coat-wearing girl and her dog, but the cobbled-together, science-project nature of this canine isn’t exactly crowd-pleasing, something Spires seems to recognize; tacks, metal plates, and fur patches spring off of the dog’s body in one of the final scenes, leaving behind a (slightly) more conventional-looking misfit. Regardless, most readers will understand what Hughes and Spires are getting at—every dog, no matter how wonky or weird, is worthy of love. Ages 4–8. Illustrator’s agency: Painted Words. (Jan.)

CM Magazine

"A really beautiful story that highlights the uniqueness of pets and the joy they bring into their owners lives. The illustrations in this picture book are beautifully painted, descriptive, and they will engage with the reader...A great read-aloud! Highly Recommended."

starred review Quill & Quire

★ "When it comes to true exposition of the canine soul...Spare Dog Parts soars...The text is sparse but affecting and verges on poetic at times...Spires is an expert at pet portrayal thanks to her popular Binky the Space Cat series, and while she maintains her trademark gentle cartoon style, her drawings are so much more than just pleasant or cute—they are endearingly quirky and surprisingly emotive. The motley dog radiates pure love, devotion, and scampishness whether her tongue is lolling out in anticipation of a belly rub or she is looking on in appreciation as her creator appends a mismatched paw. The text and images combine to create a moving, pure, and affection-filled ode to the mutt...Ear scratches and belly rubs all around."

The Horn Book Online

The short, descriptive read-aloud text complements Spires's friendly, cartoonish ink and watercolor illustrations, which are elevated by emotive facial expressions and well-balanced compositions.

Booklist

"Bright and full of energy...it hammers home the idea that, more often than not, a “perfect” dog is the dog you have."

Resource Links

"A wonderful picture book praising the qualities of a mutt...The slightly whimsical art is delightful and complements the imaginative story of how the little girl’s dog came to be."

Booklist

"Bright and full of energy...it hammers home the idea that, more often than not, a “perfect” dog is the dog you have."

Starred Quill & Quire

"When it comes to true exposition of the canine soul...Spare Dog Parts soars...The text is sparse but affecting and verges on poetic at times...Spires is an expert at pet portrayal thanks to her popular Binky the Space Cat series, and while she maintains her trademark gentle cartoon style, her drawings are so much more than just pleasant or cute—they are endearingly quirky and surprisingly emotive. The motley dog radiates pure love, devotion, and scampishness whether her tongue is lolling out in anticipation of a belly rub or she is looking on in appreciation as her creator appends a mismatched paw. The text and images combine to create a moving, pure, and affection-filled ode to the mutt...Ear scratches and belly rubs all around."

Kirkus Reviews

2015-11-03
In this Canadian import, a little girl speculates on the origins of her beloved pet dog, an endearing mutt with an unusual, mismatched configuration of body parts.The unnamed girl narrates the concise story about her female dog, which also remains unnamed. Both dog and child are appealing characters in the watercolor-and-ink illustrations, and it's refreshing to have two female protagonists and the little girl shown as a dark-skinned child with dark, curly hair. While the text clearly states that the dog was fashioned elsewhere by unknown creators, the illustrations show the girl creating the dog herself, attaching legs, paws, ears, and tail to a patched body. This disparity between text and illustrations leads to confusion, along with several other discrepancies that mar the overall effort. In one spread, the girl is in a shop that has dog parts for sale at a discount, pointing with a worried look at a sign that states "Brains 50%," but the corresponding text states that her dog already knows enough. The conclusion says that the dog's tail wags endlessly, but young readers will have noticed that the tail isn't wagging on previous or subsequent pages. And though the dog is pieced together from spare parts and glue, she is clearly alive. This story might spark some discussion, but it's likely to be in the form of questions trying to resolve logical issues and the incompatibility between text and illustrations. An unfortunate misalliance of story and illustrations. (Picture book. 3-6)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940175042482
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	09/01/2017
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

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