I recently received a review copy of Baron Thinks DOGS Are People Too!, a lively short story about a high-spirited dog who does a good deed and makes a friend. Alfie read the book to the kids last night, and here's what we thought of it.
The Good
Children with lively dogs will enjoy the recounts of Baron's frisky antics, and the busy, colorful illustrations are great for reading out loud to large groups. They'll spend the whole book wondering whether Baron will ever find a best friend, so it's easy to keep them engaged in the story.
The Bad
Characters are introduced and removed so randomly that even my kids felt that the book left way too many questions unanswered.
* Are Billy and Emma children of the doggie's mom and dad?
* Who are they and where did they come from?
* Why did the book say that Emma was on the sled? Emma has yellow hair in the beginning, and none of the girls on the sled have yellow hair!
I also found myself wondering what the dad's deployment with the air force has to do with anything in the story. And the biggest question on everyone's mind was: Why in the world is this book called "Baron Thinks DOGS Are People Too!"?
The Bongga
This book puts smiles on children's faces -- not only on your child's face when you read it to him, but on a child with a cleft palate somewhere around the world. If you buy this book from publisher Big Tent Books, author Laurie Dean will donate $1 to Operation Smile! Which is something that should put a smile on your face as well.
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