The Perfect Dog

by Kevin O'Malley

Overview

Fans of The Pigeon Wants a Puppy and Charlie the Ranch Dog will fall in love with this vibrant picture book about one girl’s quest to find the perfect dog for her family.
 
When your parents say you can get a dog, you feel so LUCKY.
 
And after you finally figure out what kind of dog you want, that feels even LUCKIER.
 
But when the perfect dog chooses you—it feels like you’re the LUCKIEST kid in the world!
 
Dogs come in all shapes, sizes, and personalities. But which one is perfect for you?


"A shoo-in for lovers of dogs and humor: funny and charming." —Kirkus Reviews

"A superlative choice where animal books are popular or needed." —School Library Journal

"The humor of the dogs, conjured up in O'Malley's comical illustrations, is what will draw [preschoolers] in." —Booklist

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101934449
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	05/01/2018
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 10.70(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Kevin O’Malley is the co-author and illustrator of the popular Miss Malarkey series, as well as the author and illustrator of the state award champ Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude and the New York Times bestseller Gimme Cracked Corn and I Will Share. The perfect dog for Kevin is one he can create on the page, rather than one he needs to paper train in his house (but don’t tell his dog Roxie that). He lives in Baltimore, Maryland, with his wife and two sons. You can follow him on Facebook or visit him at booksbyomalley.com.

Editorial Reviews

04/01/2016
PreS-Gr 2—A little girl is finally allowed to get a pet, and she knows just what qualities to look for: "The perfect dog should be big… bigger…biggest! Maybe not this big." Digital illustrations in bright colors depict three different large—and one very large—breeds. So begins a playful romp through the traits a perfect dog should possess. Frequent repetition of superlatives is featured throughout, illustrated by comparisons of the pups' hair, running speed, and general fanciness. Humorous, cartoonlike illustrations provide dog enthusiasts plenty of breeds to inspect, and demonstrate what happens when a dog is "too much": the too snuggly hound squashes the little girl into a chair as he tries to lie on top of her. Ultimately, the protagonist discovers that there is no perfect pooch recipe, but the end result still sees girl and pet happily united. While no new ground is tread here, animal lovers will certainly enjoy examining a variety of canine companions (the endpapers alone feature dozens of doggie faces), and the simple text plus bold illustrations make this an option for reading aloud. VERDICT A superlative choice where animal books are popular or needed.—Kelsey Johnson-Kaiser, La Crosse Public Library, WI

School Library Journal

2016-03-02
A white child in a dress and a bow lectures readers about how to pick the perfect dog. Portraits of different breeds of adorable dogs are the first (and last) things readers encounter in this ode to canines. The story begins as the young narrator tells readers that the family is about to get a dog, and of course, it should be perfect. Thus begins a pattern—"The perfect dog should be big... / bigger... // biggest! / Maybe not this big"—that continues throughout the book, substituting different adjectives and dog breeds to illustrate them: in this case, a chow chow, a German shepherd, a Saint Bernard, and a Great Dane, respectively. Use of various typefaces and fonts will help readers grasp the meanings of the adjectives and adds dramatic flair. Along with the varying dog breeds, the changes in adjectives are accompanied by changes in the narrator's outfits. Playful chaos ensues in many spreads, adding humor to the general charm of the pooches. A page turn between the three escalating adjectives and the follow-up "maybe not" sentence would have added playful anticipation, but the pacing still generally works. By limiting backgrounds to two colors, O'Malley keeps the focus on the characters—and boy, are they full of character. The dogs are the true stars of this book, each with an immediately evident personality, though they're all lovable. Sweetly, the perfect dog turns out to be the one who chooses the narrator. While this book doesn't do anything new, it's a shoo-in for lovers of dogs and humor: funny and charming. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews