I Am Not a Dog Toy

by Ethan T. Berlin, Jared Chapman (Illustrator)

Overview

A toy bear insists that he's a kid's toy—not a dog toy—in this story that shows that a true friendship is always one that goes in both directions.

A fun bear, who wears a vest with many pockets, is the brand new toy for a little girl. Bear couldn't be more excited to play with the girl, but she is a little less than enthused. In fact, she throws him into the dog's water bowl. Splash! Bear doesn't take the hint. Dog, however, is very excited to play with Bear. But Bear insists he is not a dog toy, he is a kid's toy. So he keeps trying to get the girl's attention... to no avail. Will Bear ever realize that Dog is the better friend?

Kids making friends will see that friendship isn't really friendship unless it's reciprocated in this hilarious and sweet picture book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593119013
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	03/23/2021
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Ethan Berlin is an Emmy Award-nominated television comedy writer, a producer, and a Junior Library Guild selected picture book author. He also teaches comedy writing at NYU and SUNY at Stony Brook.

Jared Chapman was born in Louisiana, grew up in Texas, went to college in Georgia, lived in Austin, and now lives with his family in the piney woods of northeast Texas. He is best known as the author-illustrator of the popular books Vegetables in Underwear and Fruits in Suits, and was also the illustrator for It's Not My Fault!
Illustrator Site: Jaredchapman.com

Editorial Reviews

2021-01-13
A spoiled girl rudely rejects a birthday gift of a teddy bear and flings it over to the eagerly rambunctious family dog.

The stuffed bear, welcomed by the dog, insists it is “a fancy kids’ toy with lots of pockets,” and indeed the vest it wears is festooned with them. It is not meant to be a disgusting, chewed, and torn-up dog toy. After being ignored by the little girl one too many times, the bear is eventually thrown into “the wedge” between her bed and the wall to join her other discards. The bear finally relents, giving in to the dog’s persistent cajoling to play and ultimately have lots of fun as a dog toy. Black-outlined cartoons of a scruffy, floppy-eared mutt and a smug brown bear dressed in a utility vest expand on the dialogue-only narrative. The text does not use speech balloons to attribute the dialogue but rather a different typeface for the various characters. Empathy for the bear builds as the girl’s callous actions continue. Choosing friends can be a tricky road to follow in life and rejection a difficult reality to accept. Readers will cheer when the dog’s boundless exuberance eventually counters the girl’s incessant dismissal to create a satisfying bond, and dog lovers will certainly appreciate the sentiments behind the dog’s role in the story. The girl, the only human in the story, is a child of color. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-17-inch double-page spreads viewed at 50% of actual size.)

More Toy Story than Corduroy, a satisfying tale of unexpected friendship. (Picture book. 5-7)

Kirkus Reviews

A satisfying tale of unexpected friendship.” —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher