Dogs!

by John Hutton MD, Doug Cenko (Illustrator)

Overview

Play and learn with dogs of all colors, shapes, and sizes!  Questions within the book provide a built-in tool for grown-ups to use while reading, encouraging little ones to expand on the story. This type of interactive reading, known as "dialogic reading," is key to developing early literacy skills.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781936669547
Publisher:	blue manatee press
Publication date:	04/04/2017
Pages:	14
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 5.60(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	3 Months to 3 Years

About the Author

John Hutton is a pediatrician and clinical researcher at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Reading and Literacy Discovery Center and the owner of blue manatee children's bookstore. Doug Cenko is an illustrator living in Chicago, IL.

Editorial Reviews

"Sharing this book with children is sure to cultivate rich interactions that foster children’s language skills far into the future." —Dr. Laura Justice, College of Education & Human Ecology, Distinguished Professor, The Ohio State University


"By inviting the child into the story with questions and responses, the child is more attentive and involved. Dr. Hutton’s wonderful new children’s book, Dogs!, provides a great way for families to practice these skills, and have fun doing it!" —Rachelle Schmitz, CCC Speech-Language Pathology, CALP, CDT


"A pack of playful dogs cavorts through the pages as little ones and their grown-ups are encouraged to engage through gentle prompts . . . . [Hutton's] approach is novel and engaging. Cenko's richly colored paintings, in what looks to be acrylics, are winsome, imbuing each pup with a distinct personality." —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2017-05-01
A pack of playful dogs cavorts through the pages as little ones and their grown-ups are encouraged to engage through gentle prompts. Panels of bold blocks of color zero in on a variety of dogs, sometimes as many as three in one 5 ½-inch-square page. When the text is not describing each canine ("BIG dog. / Little DOG"), it is encouraging youngsters to fill in blanks ("____ dog" next to a picture of a hot dog in its bun) or repeat back words and simple phrases ("Let's say YELLOW, FURRY dog!"). On the back cover, the author, a pediatrician, states that the rationale for these prompts is to promote brain growth, build vocabulary, and encourage early literacy skills in young children as well as to bring grown-ups and children together. Parents new to reading with toddlers may need a little more guidance than Hutton provides, but his approach is novel and engaging. Cenko's richly colored paintings, in what looks to be acrylics, are winsome, imbuing each pup with a distinct personality. However, some of the panels are too small and others are too dark. A dark-brown dachshund is lost against a dark-purple background, a dark-blue sky makes the beach scene look moonlit, and it is difficult to figure out what a cone-wearing dog is up to due to the lack of contrast and the size of the panel. While it's a playful and useful offering, readers will wish it were a bit bigger and higher contrast. (Board book. 2-4)

Kirkus Reviews