A Dog Named Doug

by Karma Wilson (Author) Matt Myers (Illustrator)

A Dog Named Doug
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
Egged on by a ground squirrel, a dog named Doug digs miles underground--taking a detour through the White House--until he returns home, goes to bed, and dreams of digging some more. Full color.
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Publishers Weekly

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)

Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

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

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

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

Jane Chapman is the illustrator of over one hundred books for children, including Dilly Duckling by Claire Freedman and I Love My Mama by Peter Kavanagh, as well as Karma Wilson's Bear Books series and Mortimer's Christmas Manger. She lives with her family in Dorset, England. Visit Jane at JaneKChapman.com.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781442449312
Lexile Measure
500
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date
June 26, 2018
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV051000 - Juvenile Fiction | Imagination & Play
JUV002070 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Dogs
Library of Congress categories
Dogs
Stories in rhyme
Tunneling

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