How to Behave at a Dog Show - Hardcover

Rosenberg, Madelyn

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062279270 ISBN 13: 9780062279279

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2015

Synopsis

Is Rexie cut out to be Best in Show? Probably not. Does Julia enter him in the Happy Tails Best of Breed Dog Show anyway? She sure does. This companion to How to Behave at a Tea Party offers readers more laugh-out-loud silly fun with sister-brother duo Julia and Charles and their lovably mischievous dog, Rexie.

With subtle themes of losing gracefully and celebrating the things that make each of us winners in our own ways, this book is perfect for preschool and early elementary children, for readers who enjoyed the How to Babysit a Grandpa series, and for anyone who has ever loved a less-than-perfect pet.

Julia and Charles end up hosting a pet show of their own—don't be surprised if young readers are inspired to do the same!

About this title

About the Authors

Madelyn Rosenberg is the author of How to Behave at a Tea Party, the first book about Julia and Charles, illustrated by Heather Ross; The Schmutzy Family, illustrated by Paul Meisel; and Nanny X, a middle grade novel. She lives in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband, kids, cats, and fish. When she was in second grade, her dog, Taylor, took home the title of Happiest Puppy in the University Mall Pet Show.

Heather Ross is an illustrator, author, and textile designer. She is the illustrator of How to Behave at a Tea Party by Madelyn Rosenberg, as well as the Crafty Chloe books by Kelly DiPucchio. She also wrote the bestselling craft books Weekend Sewing and Heather Ross Prints. Heather's own dog, Lobo, currently holds a regional title for Smelliest Pup. She lives in New York City.

From the Back Cover

Julia and Charles can't wait to enter Rexie in the Happy Tails Best of Breed Dog Show. To prepare, Julia will show Charles how to give Rexie a bath; Charles will show Julia how to dye a dog blue. Julia will don a proper handler outfit; Rexie will don the smell of skunk.Julia will get them to the show on time; Charles will make sure their entrance is grand and their exit even grander.

Meanwhile, Rexie will teach both of them that while not everyone can be Best in Show, everyone is Best in Something.

Madelyn Rosenberg and Heather Ross revisit the characters from How to Behave at a Tea Party with another sweet and silly story filled with sibling antics, laugh-out-loud moments, and undeniable heart.

Reviews

K-Gr 2—Didactic Julia Fitzgerald is at it again, this time she is instructing readers how to behave at a dog show as she prepares her own pet to participate in one. The narrative takes children through the application process, little Rexie's competition preparation, and the team's efforts to win a ribbon. Unfortunately for Julia, things don't go as planned; Rexie gets dyed, skunked, and generally misbehaves while her little brother Charlie and their neighbor friends create some chaos of their own. Though her perfect plans are thwarted, Julia learns to set different standards—more reasonable and childlike ones—for best of show. Ross's Photoshop digital images, vibrant against mostly white pages, have the charm of dynamic pen and watercolor sketches and provide the irony in the story; readers can see the mess and tumult while they read Julia's calm directives. As a read-aloud there is some dissonance as Julia's narration breaks from expository to dialogic without quotation marks, changes to the font size, or other visual indications; her increasing upset is indicated only by an exclamation point and a few capitalizations for emphasis. It seems that readers can't get enough of bossy yet well-meaning girl characters, and Julia fits that subgenre perfectly. VERDICT Recommended for most collections, this title promises to circulate widely.—Lisa Lehmuller, East Providence School District, RI

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0062279270
• ISBN 13: 9780062279279
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Ross Heather
• Number of pages: 32