A Dog Named Doug

by Karma Wilson, Matt Myers (Illustrator)

Overview

Dogs love to dig but one dog named Doug takes digging to new heights (and depths) in this laugh-out-loud picture book from New York Times bestselling author Karma Wilson and celebrated illustrator Matt Myers.

Meet Doug. Doug is a dog that loves to dig. But when Doug digs he doesn’t just dig holes in the backyard.

He digs...ditches the size of tractors!
He digs...tunnels through gold mines!
He even digs his way into...the White House!

But not even the Secret Service can stop this digging doggy, because when Doug digs, oh boy, does Doug DIG!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442449312
Publisher:	Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date:	06/26/2018
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Karma Wilson is the bestselling author of several picture books, including the Bear Books series; Where Is Home, Little Pip?; and A Dog Named Doug. Karma lives in Montana.

Matt Myers has illustrated more than a dozen books, including The Most Terrible of All, A Dog Named Doug, the New York Times bestseller Battle Bunny, and The Infamous Ratsos, a Theodor Seuss Geisel honor book. He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. You can see more illustrations and fine art at MyersPaints.com.

Editorial Reviews

04/09/2018
Doug is a dog who really likes to dig. He digs his way to Hollywood, the White House (where he tears through the floor of the Oval Office), a mummy’s tomb, a mountain summit, Easter Island (where he accidentally knocks over a stone moai), and eventually finds himself—where else?—upside-down in China. A dog who loves to dig isn’t the most original concept, but Myers’s (Battle Bunny) creative, acrylic-and-oil-paint illustrations draw out the humor in Doug’s adventures. The artwork frequently doubles as typography: mounds of dirt form the m’s in “many miles of dirt” and “mounds of mud,” and Doug’s tunnels take the shape of various letters in the repeating refrain, “Oh boy, did Doug dig!” Wilson (Bear Snores On) maintains a light, playful tone with loose rhymes and lots of alliteration, making this a fun readaloud. And what does Doug do when he’s been tucked into bed in his doghouse? He digs his way into his owners’ bedroom, where he has colorful, surrealistic dreams of digging. Ages 4–8. Agent for both: Steven Malk, Writers House. (June)

Publishers Weekly

"Wilson (Bear Snores On) maintains a light, playful tone with loose rhymes and lots of alliteration, making this a fun readaloud." — Publisher's Weekly

"The combination of a perky, naughty dog and lots of dirt and mud will appeal to kids who like a story of an adventurous pooch." — Kirkus Reviews

"A standout among goofy dog picture books." — School Library Journal

"A storytime showstopper that’s also wellsuited for solitary viewings. Four paws up for digger Doug." — Booklist Online

From the Publisher

06/01/2018
PreS-Gr 1—Doug, the pup with a big goofy doggy grin, loves to dig. He digs for miles and miles in all directions. He makes big holes. He finds all sorts of treasures. He digs his way into the White House and far off lands. Frustrated, Doug's family scolds him and puts him in the doghouse, where he digs into the house and crawls into bed with his family. Acrylic-and—oil paint illustrations in bright colors with cartoonlike characters complement the variety of ways that Doug explores his obsession. Scenes of underground tunnels studded with whimsical details abound. Illustrations depicting Doug's head popping up aboveground in new lands offers the opportunity for conversational prompts. Just the right amount of text, sometimes standard typeset and sometimes a creative part of the illustrations make Doug's adventures immersive. Additionally, the prose contains both tongue-twisty alliterations and cleverly written rhymes. VERDICT As a picture book simply about a dog who digs, there is much for readers to see, hear, and take delight in, including an ending with an imaginative twist. All of these elements make this book a standout among goofy dog picture books.—Mindy Hiatt, Salt Lake County Library Services

School Library Journal

2018-04-16
A large, golden-brown dog named Doug spends all his time and energy digging huge holes and extensive tunnels, with some surprising results. The rollicking, rhyming text details all Doug's digging with lots of wordplay with the dog's name and the words "dig" and "dug." At first Doug's tunnels in his backyard are fairly realistic, but soon his frantic digging moves into more fantastical feats, as he has a burrowing contest with a squirrel, excavates a tunnel into an old gold mine, and bores his way to the White House lawn. Following a tour, Doug burrows back down through the floor of the Oval Office, surprising the president, a woman of color. His excavation efforts take him around the world, meeting people of different ethnicities and skin tones, with one spread appearing to be upside down as Doug digs all the way to China. Bold illustrations in acrylic and oil paints incorporate some of the text into the art, with individual letters or words serving as some of the underground tunnels. A concluding spread shows Doug's rather nightmarish dream about digging his way into another planet, where some strange, otherworldly creatures greet him. While Doug's adventures are spirited and amusing, the frenetic energy is a bit strained, and the repeated refrain of "oh boy, did Doug DIG!" wears thin by the time Doug tunnels his way into his owners' bed for his dream sequence. The combination of a perky, naughty dog and lots of dirt and mud will appeal to kids who like a story of an adventurous pooch. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews