Charlie the Ranch Dog (Charlie the Ranch Dog Series)

by Ree Drummond, Diane deGroat (Illustrator)

Overview

Ree Drummond, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Pioneer Woman Cooks series of books, introduces us to her lovable hound Charlie in Charlie the Ranch Dog.

With expressive illustrations by Diane deGroat, a delicious recipe from Ree Drummond, and the hilarious antics of Charlie, this hardcover picture book is an excellent gift.

Meet Charlie. He's a ranch dog. Breakfast is his life, especially when bacon is involved. Charlie has dangly ears, floppy skin, and big fat paws. And he loves living in the country. That's because he works like a dog...fixing fences, gardening, and helping his family out on the range. A ranch dog’s work is never done!

This endearing picture book for dog lovers everywhere shows readers that even though you may love bacon and naps most of all, working on the ranch is all about hard work and determination. A New York Times bestseller!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061996559
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	04/26/2011
Series:	Charlie the Ranch Dog Series
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	205,512
Product dimensions:	10.10(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD530L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Ree Drummond is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Pioneer Woman Cooks, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier,  and The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays. Ree’s beloved website, The Pioneer Woman, was founded in 2006 and showcases her cooking, photography, and anecdotes about country life. Her cooking show, The Pioneer Woman, premiered on Food Network in 2011. Ree loves Ethel Merman songs, Lucille Ball, and The Godfather. She lives on a working cattle ranch in Oklahoma with her husband and four children.

Diane deGroat is the illustrator of more than 120 children's books and the author-illustrator of bestselling books about Gilbert, including Ants in Your Pants, Worms in Your Plants! (Gilbert Goes Green); April Fool! Watch Out at School!; Mother, You're the Best! (But Sister, You're a Pest!); Last One in Is a Rotten Egg!; and the New York Times bestseller Roses Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink. Diane lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Hometown:

Bartlesville, Oklahoma

Date of Birth:

January 6, 1969

Editorial Reviews

This much ballyhooed picture book stars Charlie, a ranch dog who clearly has it all under control. For this mellow, short-legged pioneer dog, exceedingly lethargic is the default mode; unless, of course, the word "bacon" is uttered, even whispered. This endearing picture book by blogger/author Ree Drummond (Confessions of a Pioneer Woman) will be the subject of an upcoming online story-time.

A droopy-eyed basset hound is the star of the first children's book from Drummond, best known for her Pioneer Woman blog and subsequent books. Perhaps the most self-deluded ranch dog since Hank the Cowdog, Charlie introduces himself and Suzie, the younger, more energetic dog on Drummond's ranch. While lazy Charlie contemplates chasing a cow out of the yard, Suzie gets the job done. As Charlie sniffs under the porch steps for interlopers and finds none, Suzie gives chase to a squirrel she's found in the same spot. Charlie seems unaware of the impish chipmunk that deGroat, with characteristic humor, sneaks into each spread. Her paintings drolly portray the discrepancy between reality and Charlie's perceptions of his day, during which eating ("I can't be expected to do all this work on an empty stomach") and napping ("I must have accidentally closed my eyes for a few seconds") are high priorities. Adult readers will recognize in Charlie's voice the understated humor that has made Drummond's blog so successful; kids should find it irresistible. Ages 4–8. (May)

Publishers Weekly

DeGroat’s cozy illustrations picture a beguiling Charlie on a comfortable ranch with appealing accoutrement. An observant chipmunk adds an extra touch of humor, and a lasagna recipe is thrown in for good measure.

Booklist

DeGroat’s cozy illustrations picture a beguiling Charlie on a comfortable ranch with appealing accoutrement. An observant chipmunk adds an extra touch of humor, and a lasagna recipe is thrown in for good measure.

Booklist

PreS-Gr 2—Charlie, a lovable layabout basset hound, believes, "Work. . .is what I do best." His friend Suzie, a young terrier, has boundless energy and zips around the ranch chasing squirrels, rounding up cattle, and fetching baskets of vegetables. Despite his proclamations, Charlie's real penchant is for eating ("Breakfast is my life") and napping ("Huh? What'd I miss? Oh. I must have accidentally closed my eyes for a few seconds"). But he springs into action when he is needed most and chases Daisy the cow out of the garden with a loud, hound-dog howl. DeGroat's winsome illustrations capture Charlie's daily routines, including sniffing the porch steps and snoozing in the grass. The comic irony of the text will amuse readers, and Charlie's quirks will win many fans.—Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada

School Library Journal

Charlie, a long-eared, nap-loving basset hound, provides a highly filtered view of his life on the ranch. As he tells it, he and his sidekick, Suzie, are in charge. His bouncy, short-eared friend seems to be some sort of a terrier—all energy—and is always a few steps ahead of her buddy. Charlie, well, he is a basset hound, perpetually in search of the next meal and a quiet place to sleep. He has to keep the cows in their places, help Mama with the garden, catch fish and, of course, sniff the steps. Like Gloria, ofOffice Buckle and Gloriafame, Charlie's perceptions are quite different from reality. His down-home dialogue coupled with expressive watercolors give readers not-so-subtle clues about the personality of the dogs involved.They see Suzie running and herding the cattle, lugging baskets of vegetables and generally keeping the ranch in shape while Charlie rests his eyes and sleeps. But one day Charlie finds himself without his sidekick and actually proves himself to bea valuable farmhand. Young readers will chuckle at the unabashed, obvious humor and will especially enjoy finding the hidden, unnamed chipmunk buddy on every page. Rather bafflingly, Drummond, mostly known for her Pioneer Woman blog, provides an unexpected recipe for lasagna as backmatter. This incongruity aside, Charlie's tale is an agreeable if ephemeral one.(Picture book. 2-6)

Kirkus Reviews