My Big Dog (A Golden Classic) - Softcover

Stevens, Janet; Stevens Crummel, Susan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0375851038 ISBN 13: 9780375851032

Publisher: Dragonfly Books, 2009

Synopsis

A hilarious, bestselling cat-and-dog story returns as a Dragonfly paperback!

Merl the Cat's pampered life is turned upside down when a little golden retriever puppy moves into the house. Merl tells the story of how he tries his best to oust the newest member of his household. Thwarted at every turn by the ever-growing puppy, he finally comes to terms with the presence of his big dog. Hilarious illustrations by Caldecott Honor winner Janet Stevens make this one story kids will ask to read again and again!

About this title

About the Author:

Janet Stevens won a Caldecott Honor for her humorous illustrations in Tops & Bottoms. She has illustrated many engaging and comical children’s book favorites, including And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon, Epossumondas, Cook-a-Doodle-Doo!, and others. She lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Susan Stevens Crummel and her sister, illustrator Janet Stevens, have published a number of picture books together.

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 2-A disgruntled feline tells his story. Everything in the house belongs to Merl until an intruder arrives-an annoying puppy that licks him and follows him around. When the golden retriever grows up, the cat hits the road, convinced that they can never be friends. Several people try to adopt Merl but nothing works out to his satisfaction. One lady dresses him up with bows and ribbons and a ridiculous striped jacket. Forlorn, he's rescued by the dog and taken home. Maybe they can be friends after all. Merl's first-person narrative is to the point; however, as the action progresses, the cat's deadpan, smugly superior voice begins to border on the pathetic. Instead of staying on the top of his game, he becomes a pawn through his own stubborn behavior; while his dress-up get-up may look funny, it only serves to highlight his fall from grace. Once back home, the cat declares himself the ruler but it's really the dog that wins children's hearts. Initially the scruffy, unkempt, free-flowing pastels are humorous and energizing. In the few scenes with people, the humans are pictured in photographic gray, creating an intriguing and visually arresting juxtaposition to the splashy, colorful animal world. However, as Merl continues to mope about on the pages, readers' interest and sympathy begin to wane. What starts out as funny and original becomes overused. Merl might tell readers he's "a very special cat," but it's hard to know why.
Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Dragonfly Books
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0375851038
• ISBN 13: 9780375851032
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Stevens Janet