backonthealex's review
4.0
When an old dog asks a farmer for a job and a home, his is immediately turned down. Dogs, the farmer tells him, do nothing be eat and don't give anything back. Can the old dog prove his worth to the stubborn farmer? You bet he can, and what fun watching him do just that.
libraryjen's review
5.0
A really sweet story about a homeless dog looking for a job, a place to belong. I love the perseverance and determination of the dog. I love the message it teaches (with humor!) that diligence and hard work pay off. The illustrations are beautiful and my Preschool Story Time kids today just loved it. Highly recommended.
One caveat: It is a bit long for this age, so I read it first and it was a hit!
One caveat: It is a bit long for this age, so I read it first and it was a hit!
mandarchy's review
4.0
The illustrations of this dog are priceless. Sheban captured the hungry forlorn scrappy stray in such a way - if you have rescued a dog - that will you have me? look.
elephant's review
4.0
Cute story about a resourceful old dog who proves that he is a valuable addition to a farm.
kendallbridgete's review
5.0
I have not yet read all of the 2017-2018 nominees for the (Primary) Virginia Readers' Choice Award...but so far, this is one of my top contenders. :)
tashrow's review against another edition
4.0
When an old farm dog walks up to a farm looking for work, the farmer refuses. He sees dogs as a waste of food since they don’t give anything back like chickens or cows do. The dog then offers to be a cow instead of a dog. He gets all of the cows into the barn and lined up ready for milking before the farmer gets there, but the farmer isn’t interested in this dog-cow. The next thing the dog tries is to be a horse. He couldn’t fit in the harness for the plow, but he could run ahead of the horse with treats to get the horse to plow faster. Still, the farmer was not interested in hiring the dog. The dog next tries to be a chicken and tidies up the chicken coop before settling down in a nest of hay himself. It’s there that he finally proves the value of a dog on a farm to the reluctant farmer.
Bateman nicely incorporates a rhythm and repetition into her story. The pattern of the conversation between the dog and the farmer carries through the entire book, creating a framework that functions very nicely. On each job, the dog manages to be useful in his own way, something that is a nice surprise in the book rather than him trying to give milk or eggs himself. One immediately roots for the success of this hard-working dog.
Sheban’s illustrations are done in watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil. The result is a picture book that glows with sunlight. There is a wonderful softness to the illustrations, gauzy light that plays across the farm and the characters.
A shining picture book about resilience and being yourself. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Bateman nicely incorporates a rhythm and repetition into her story. The pattern of the conversation between the dog and the farmer carries through the entire book, creating a framework that functions very nicely. On each job, the dog manages to be useful in his own way, something that is a nice surprise in the book rather than him trying to give milk or eggs himself. One immediately roots for the success of this hard-working dog.
Sheban’s illustrations are done in watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil. The result is a picture book that glows with sunlight. There is a wonderful softness to the illustrations, gauzy light that plays across the farm and the characters.
A shining picture book about resilience and being yourself. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
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