Dog Storytime
Dog Craft PDFs: Dog Ears, Dog Eyes, Dog Noses, Dog Jowls, Dog Tongues 
Books
Daring Dog And Captain Cat by Arnold Adoff (5-8)
In verse, a dog and cat describe how their daily routines alternate with their (imaginary) swashbuckling nightly adventures as “Daring Dog and Captain Cat.”
Be Gentle With The Dog, Dear! by Matthew J. Baek
Tag is “a lap dog, a gentle dog. Elisa is “a precious baby…when she’s sleeping. / Other times she’s not so precious. Like when… [picture of baby gleefully choking the dog] she squeezes Tag, / and pulls his tail, and tackles him. / He knows it’s her way of showing love, but the truth is… / he’s miserable.” The richly colored acrylic paintings vividly convey both the dog’s and baby’s emotions. When Elisa steals Tag’s favorite toy, he finally loses his temper, which seems to be what was needed to drive the lesson of gentleness home—at least as far as the doggy is concerned. Look! There’s the kitty!
You Bad Dog! By Leslie Baker
Poor Bridget is a big, well-behaved rottweiler who just wants a nap. She can’t get any rest, though, while her best friend, Lulu the terrier is around, though. Lulu is full of energy and mischief—and somehow, Bridget always gets the blame. When push comes to shove, Bridget goes back to rescue Lulu and tells her that things have got to change. Then they go play. The illustrations are beautifully realistic watercolors that manage to convey the dogs’ moods and personalities with wonderful vividness.
Nobody’s Diggier Than A Dog by Susan Campbell Bartoletti (Pre-K-3)
Dogs are diggy, hairy and all around delightful in a rhythmic, rhyming text that describes dogs in superlative terms.
Be Brown! By Barbara Bottner (Toddler-6)
Bright cartoonish illustrations show a boy trying to reign in his badly-behaved dog, with one word commands on each page: “Fetch!” “Catch!” “Drop It!” etc. Finally, the boy settles on one command his dog has to obey: “’BE…/BE BROWN! / Good dog.’”
Black Dog Gets Dressed by Lizi Boyd (Toddler-4)
A small boy plays dress up with his dog, carefully dressing the dog the way the boy usually dresses.
Chowder by Peter Brown (4-8)
Chowder is an English Bulldog who acts more like a person; he reads the paper, plays on the computer and uses the toilet. Unfortunately, the neighborhood dogs all think he’s too strange to be their friend, and Chowder is lonely. So, when a gigantic new supermarket and petting zoo opens up, Chowder sets out to make friends with the animals at the petting zoo.
Ivan the Terrier by Peter Catalanotto (ages 3-8)
The book opens with a watercolor spread with three goats grazing. “Once upon a time there were three billy goats named Gruff.” On the next page, a Boston terrier has run onto the page and is barking at the goats, scaring them away. “Ivan! You naughty dog! You’re ruining the story!” The dog chases the goats into the distance. “Oh well. I guess we’ll have to read a different story.” This continues as Ivan chases the three bears out of their cottage, knocks over the three pigs’ building supplies before they’ve even built their houses, even jumps up on the countertop and (gasp!) eats the gingerbread man, fresh out of the oven. You’ve got to love the deliciously self-conscious humor with such an appealingly naughty protagonist.
Dog Poems by Dave Crawley (K-3)
The poems are generally mediocre, but “Telling A Tail” ( p. 24) “Wrong Kitty” (p. 30) and “Slobberkiss” (p. 31) are definitely worth using. See below.
Wiggle, Bounce or Stretch by Doreen Cronin and Scott Menchin (ages 2-5)
Great for “shaking the sillies out”, especially with guided movements.
Always in Trouble by Corinne Demas (Ages 3-8)
“‘Something has to be done about that dog!’ said Emma’s mom.” Emma loves Toby, but he seems to get in trouble almost every day of the week. So, she tries giving him more attention, taking him to obedience school, and, eventually, sending him to obedience boarding school. Finally, Toby starts taking out the garbage instead of scattering it around the house, baking bread for the family instead of stealing it, and even vacuuming the carpets instead of making messes. Still, no dog is perfect…
Dog’s ABC: A Silly Story About the Alphabet by Emma Dodd (Ages 3-7)
This alphabet book is a single, continuous story about Dog's activities, with shifting emphasis on different letter sounds on each page. (“An apple falls on his head. Dog barks, and a bird flies out of the apple tree.” At the bottom of the page: “Aa Apple/Bb Bird” This is great for preschoolers and beginning readers, because the reader can put as much or as little emphasis on the phonetic and alphabet connections as he or she wants.
Dog Blue by Polly Dunbar (ages 3-7, will go as low as age 2 if pages are skipped)
Bertie loves everything blue, but he can’t find a blue dog. So, he plays with an imaginary blue dog. Then, he pretends to be a blue dog—until a real dog arrives to play with him. They make a perfect pair, even thought the dog isn’t blue.
Wag A Tail by Lois Ehlert (ages 3-5)
Graduates of the Bow Wow School, recite their virtues in this sparsely-worded rhyming text with bright paper-collage illustrations.
Wag Wag Wag by Peter Hansard (ages 1-3) See shelf behind my desk
One word descriptions of dogs’ activities in the park are strung together (“Roll Piddle/ Drool Dribble…”) accompanying spirited watercolor illustrations of cheerful canines.
Circle Dogs by Kevin Henkes (ages 3-5, much younger if pages are skipped.)
“In the big, square house live the two circle dogs.” These long, skinny dachsunds are always either curled up in a circle or running in circles in this 5-tone block-color illustrated book. The style is retro, the tone is simultaneously soothing and whimsical.
Gomer & Little Gomer by R.A. Herman (ages 3-5)
Gomer is a dog, and little Gomer is the stuffed animal he takes with him everywhere. He doesn’t mind that Chi Chi the Chihuahua teases him. When it’s time to choose between his favorite game, fetch and keeping Little Gomer with him, what will Gomer choose?
Why Do I Have to Eat Off The Floor? by Chris Hornsey (ages 3-8)
The family dog wants to know the reasons for various family rules in this humorously illustrated question-answer book that could easily apply to most children, except for the end. A girl patiently tells the dog why he’s not allowed to drive the car, dig in the garden or misbehave before company. “’But…why do I have to eat off the floor?’ ‘Because…you are a DOG, Murphy! D-O-G!’”
The Merry Chase by Clement Hurd (ages 3-7)
A man walking his dog and a woman with a cat meet at a corner. “‘Meow,’ said the Cat. ‘Woof!’ said the Dog. And then the merry chase began. A worker knocked off a ladder falls into a trashcan, balloons go flying, a baby pram rolls away, dinner is knocked off a dining table and paint splatters freshly hung wash as the dog and cat streak across town, through houses and shops and over yards in their merry chase.
Little Dog by Lisa Jahn-Clough (ages 3-8)
“Little Dog lived on the streets. Little Dog was hungry. He was tired. He wanted to eat and sleep and chase things./Most of all, he wanted someone to love./Little Dog roamed the city. Everyone told him to scram./It was a hard life, but Little Dog kept hoping.” Then, one day, Little dog slips into the studio of an artist named Rosa, who paints gloomy pictures. “Little Dog took a chance and rolled on Rosa’s feet.” “‘You’re so scruffy. You’re so scrappy,’ Rosa said. ‘But you’re so happy.’ Little Dog’s tail thumped faster. ‘You can stay,’ said Rosa.” Now, Rosa doesn’t feel right painting her gloomy pictures. She begins painting bright, cheerful new pictures full of colors and light, and Little Dog is in each of them.
Really Truly BINGO by Laura McGee Kvasnosky (ages 4-6)
It isn’t Bea’s fault that she’s dragged her pillows into the melon patch, turned on the radio and trampled her mother’s garden. She asked her mother to play Princess Yolanda with her, but Mom sent her outside and said “use your imagination.” Bea was only following instructions when the big shaggy dog showed up, introduced himself as Bingo and said “Let’s do something we’re not supposed to do.” It was really and truly Bingo.
Please, Puppy, Please by Spike Lee &Tonya Lee (ages 2-6)
Two beautiful African-American preschoolers go out to play with their spirited—if not always obedient—puppy.
Once I Ate A Pie by Patricia MacLachlan & Emily MacLachlan Charest (ages 4-9)
Goes younger if only read 1 poem at a time. (especially “Louis” with noises & “Mr. Beefy”)
Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh (ages 2-6)
When Martha the dog eats alphabet soup, the letters go to her head instead of her stomach, and she gains the ability to talk. Unfortunately, she doesn’t seem to have the ability to stop talking, and her tactlessness and chattiness lead to new problems.
The Complete Adventures of Big Dog and Little Dog
by Dav Pilkey (ages 2-5, ages 1+ if only one is read)
These are super simple, humorous stories about a pair of dog friends. My favorite is “Big Dog and Little Dog Make a Mistake,” in which the duo chase what they think is a cat. It is not a cat. It is a skunk. Their owner is hosting a party when they come home, and the self-satisfied expressions on the doggy duo’s faces as they trot into the room are absolutely priceless. Adults, preschoolers and older children will relish the humor. Toddlers and babies will be able to follow the simple plot and tune in to the fact that the older listeners are enjoying themselves. These are also wonderful for emergent readers.
Dog And Bear: Two Friends, Three Stories by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (ages 3-5, ages 1+ if only one is read)
For little ones, just read one of the three stories: “Bear in the Chair” (about getting down), “Play With Me! Play With Me!”, “Dog Changes His Name” Also Good for early readers.
McDuff Goes To School by Rosemary Wells, Illustrated by Susan Jeffers (ages 3-8)
“A new name was painted on the mailbox at number nine Elm Road. Marie-Antoinette sat among the movers’ boxes. She kept her eye on McDuff. / ‘Woof!’ said McDuff. ‘Ouf,’ said Marie.” Lucy and Fred are impressed by their new French neighbors’ well-behaved dog, and they decide to enroll McDuff in obedience classes, but they don’t have enough time to practice with poor McDuff. At the end of classes, McDuff still doesn’t respond to “Sit,” “Heel,” “Down” or stay—but he’s been spying on the new neighbors, and he has learned “Assieds-toi,” “Au pied,” “Couche-toi” and “Reste-là.” McDuff is a personable white terrier, and the clean, 1920’s human world around him is a treat to look at.
The Pigeon Wants A Puppy by Mo Willems (ages 2-8)
Here is another delicious Pigeon book to say “no” to. “By the way, do you know what I want? / What I’ve wanted forever…? / At least since last Tuesday…? / A PUPPY! / Puppy! Puppy! Puppy!” It soon becomes humorously clear, however, that Pigeon has very little idea what’s involved in caring for a puppy: “I promise I’ll water it once a month.” Stay tuned for what happens when the Pigeon actually encounters a real puppy…
Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion (ages 3-6)
Harry is a mischievous little white dog with black spots who hates taking baths so much that he runs away to avoid them. When he misses home, his owners no longer recognize him because he is now a black dog with white spots. Share this classic with smaller or more patient groups, since it is more text heavy than some audiences are accustomed to hearing.
Rhymes
With puppet demonstrating motions
My little puppy’s name is Rags
He eats so much his tummy sags
His ears flip-flop and his tail wig-wags,
And when he walks he goes zig-zag.
Can be sung to the tune of “5 little ducks”
10 little doggies went out one day 10 fingers up
To dig in the dirt and play, play, play. Pretend to dig
5 were spotted and 5 were not 5 fingers up
And at dinnertime they ate a lot. 5 fingers up
Songs
“D-O-G” track 10 on
Roberts, Justin. Not Naptime. CD. Carpet Square Records, 2002.
“Dog Train” track 3 on
Sandra Boynton et. al. Dog Train. Book and CD. Workman Publishing, 2005.
Craft
Paper Plate Dog masks/faces
- Glue ends of ears to the food-side of the plate (the back of the dog’s head) and fold them so they flop over his face with the tips of the ears angled outward.
- Glue tongue to bottom/front of the dog’s face so that it overlaps the edge of the plate.
- Glue figure-eight shaped “jowls” over the tongue so the tongue peeks out from beneath them.
- Glue dog’s nose on top of jowls.
- Glue on and color eyes OR cut out eye-holes for mask.
- Add spots and other individual markings with a crayon.
Dog Book Bibliography
Adoff, Arnold. Daring Dog And Captain Cat. Illustrated by Joe Cepeda. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2001.
Baek, Matthew J. Be Gentle with the Dog, Dear! New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2008.
Baker, Leslie. You Bad Dog! New York: Dutton Children’s Books, 2005.
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. Nobody’s Diggier Than A Dog. Illustrated by Beppe Giacobbe. New york: Hyperion Books for Children, 2005.
Bottner, Barbara. Be Brown! Illustrated by Barry Gott. New York: Putnam & Grosset, 2002.
Boyd, Lizi. Black Dog Gets Dressed. Cambridge, Mass.: 2003.
Brown, Peter. Chowder. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2006.
Cabrera, Jane. Dog’s Day. New York: Orchard Books, 1999.
Catalanotto, Peter. Ivan The Terrier. New York: A Richard Jackson Book-Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2007.
Crawley, Dave. Dog Poems. Illustrations by Tamara Petrosino. Honesdale, Pennsylvania: Wordsong, 2007.
Cronin, Doreen. Wiggle. Art by Scott Menchin. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2005.
Cronin, Doreen and Menchin, Scott. Bounce. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2007.
Demas, Corinne. Always In Trouble. Illustrated by Noah Z. Jones. New York: Scholastic Press, 2009.
Dodd, Emma. Dog’s ABC: A Silly Story About the Alphabet. New York: Dutton Children’s Books, 2002.
Ehlert, Lois. Wag A Tail. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc., 2007.
Hansard, Peter. Wag Wag Wag. Illustrated by Barbara Firth. Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press, 1993.
Henkes, Kevin. Circle Dogs. Illustrated by Dan Yaccarino. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1998.
Herman, R.A. Gomer & Little Gomer. New York: Dutton Children’s Books, 2005.
Hornsey, Chris. Why Do I Have to Eat Off the Floor? Illustrated by Gwyn Perkins. New York: Walker & Company, 2005.
Hurd, Clement. The Merry Chase. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1941 (1st. Chronicle Books ed. Pub. 2005)
Jahn-Clough, Lisa. Little Dog. Boston: Walter Lorraine Books-Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006
Kvasnosky, Laura McGee. Really Truly BINGO. Cambridge, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press, 2008.
Lee, Spike and Lee, Tonya. Please, Puppy, Please. Illustrations by Kadir Nelson. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2005.
MacLachlan, Patricia and Charest, Emily MacLachlan. Once I Ate A Pie. Illustrated by Katy Schneider. New York: Joanna Cotler Books, 2006.
Meddaugh, Susan. Martha Speaks. Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 1992.
Pilkey, Dav. The Complete Adventures of Big Dog and Little Dog. New York: Harcourt, Inc., 2003.
Seeger, Laura Vaccaro. Dog And Bear: Two Friends, Three Stories. New Milford, Conn.: A Neal Porter Book-Roaring Book Press, 2007.
Wells, Rosemary. McDuff Goes To School. Illustrated by Susan Jeffers. New York : Hyperion Books for Children, 2001.
Willems, Mo. The Pigeon Wants A Puppy! New York : Hyperion Books for Children, 2008.
Zion, Gene. Harry the Dirty Dog. Pictures by Margaret Bloy Graham. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1956.
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