May I Pet Your Dog?: The How-to Guide for Kids Meeting Dogs (and Dogs Meeting Kids)
Some children are too afraid of dogs. Others are not afraid enough. How should we behave when we encounter a strange dog? Harry, a longhaired, chocolate-dappled dachshund, encounters a young boy and gives him a series of concrete and practical instructions on how to be friends with a dog. The most important question to ask when approaching a person with a dog on a leash is, "May I pet your dog?" From that, the dachshund shows the boy how a dog likes to be petted: first letting the dog sniff the boy's hand, and then allowing to boy to gently scratch its back. Pen and ink and watercolor illustrations are reassuring and genial, as the reassuring Harry guides the yellow-hatted boy in interactions with a series of friendly and not-so-friendly dogs. There is a wealth of information about dog behavior, ending with a simple recap of the information learned. A final page provides color photos of the real Harry, whom the author adopted as a puppy.
Themes : DOGS. PETS.
CRITICS HAVE SAID
- Harry’s advice will certainly come in handy, and dogs will appreciate the safety and consideration shown by readers who put the techniques into practice.
–Amanda Moss, School Library Journal - Children who are afraid of dogs, as well as those who love them, will find this volume useful and encouraging.
–Kirkus Reviews
IF YOU LOVE THIS BOOK, THEN TRY:
- Bartoletti, Susan. Nobody’s Diggier than a Dog. Hyperion, 2004. ISBN-13: 978-0786818242
- Bruel, Nick. Poor Puppy. Roaring Brook, 2007. ISBN-13: 978-1596432703
- Coffelt, Nancy. Fred Stays with Me! Little, Brown, 2007. ISBN-13: 978-0316882699
- Gottfried, Maya. Good Dog. Knopf, 2005. ISBN-13: 978-0553113839
- Graham, Bob. “Let’s Get a Pup!” Said Kate. Candlewick, 2001. ISBN-13: 978-0613998833
- Harvey, Amanda. Dog Eared. Doubleday, 2002. ISBN-13: 978-0440417637
- Jenkins, Steve. Dogs and Cats. Houghton Mifflin, 2007. ISBN-13: 978-0618507672
- Kalman, Maira. What Pete Ate from A-Z. Putnam, 2001. ISBN-13: 978-0142501597
- Kellogg, Steven. Pinkerton, Behave. Dial, 1979. ISBN-13: 978-0803727229
- Kirk, Daniel. Dogs Rule! Hyperion, 2003. ISBN-13: 978-0786819492
- Meddaugh, Susan. Martha Walks the Dog. Houghton Mifflin, 1998. ISBN-13: 978-0618380053
- Meyers, Susan. Puppies! Puppies! Puppies! Abrams, 2005. ISBN-13: 978-0810958562
- Moxley, Sheila. ABCD: An Alphabet Book of Cats and Dogs. Little, Brown, 2001. ISBN-13: 978-0316592406
- Pitzer, Susanna. Not Afraid of Dogs. Walker, 2006. ISBN-13: 978-0802780676
- Shannon, David. Good Boy, Fergus! Scholastic/Blue Sky, 2006. ISBN-10: 0439490278
- Teague, Mark. Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School. Scholastic, 2002. ISBN-13: 978-0439206631
- Wells, Rosemary. McDuff Goes to School. Hyperion, 2001. (And others in the McDuff series.) ISBN-13: 978-0786856763