The Next-Door Dogs - Hardcover

Rodowsky, Colby

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0374364109 ISBN 13: 9780374364106

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), 2005

Synopsis

Putting a fear to rest

Sara Barker is afraid of dogs. Whenever she sees even a picture of one, she feels clammy and cold all over. So what's Sara to do when she learns that her new next-door neighbor owns two of them? Two young and big dogs, to be specific. Her neighbor turns out to be an ebullient older woman who befriends Sara and promises her dogs will keep their distance. But one day a situation arises in which Sara is forced to venture into the yard next door, even as the dogs there are desperately barking.

Kids will relate to Sara, and dog-lovers will enjoy seeing her overcome her fears in this easy-to-read chapter book, with numerous cheerful pictures.

 

The Next-Door Dogs is a 2006 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

About this title

About the Author

Colby Rodowsky is the author of many books, including Not My Dog, an ALA Notable Book. She lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

Amy June Bates is also the illustrator of Speak to Me (And I Will Listen between the Lines) by Karen English. She lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Reviews

Grade 1-3–When she was four years old, Sara was jumped on by her great-great-aunt's dog, and she has been afraid of canines ever since. Now she has a new neighbor, Ms. Harrington, who has two dogs. This is scary for the nine year old, but she and the woman still become friends. When she hears a great deal of barking and a yell for help coming from Ms. Harrington's house one day, Sara musters the courage to rescue her neighbor, who has fallen and broken her leg. Any children with fears of their own will relate to Sara and root for her in this difficult situation. Transitional readers will enjoy this tight, compact story with a fully realized protagonist and a subtle message. Occasional full-page sketches and spot art appear throughout.– Jennifer Cogan, formerly at Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, MD
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gr. 2-4. Sara Barker is terrified of dogs, thanks to an overenthusiastic canine who tried to give her a kiss. Even thinking about dogs makes her stomach queasy and her palms sweat. Family members are understanding and indulgent as they gently try to help her grow beyond her fear. Friends, however, haven't a clue. When kindly Ms. Harrington moves in next door--with her dogs, Max and Jake--Sara "finds herself holding tight to the windowsill. Just in case." The plot is predictable; Sara's interactions with her new neighbors engender a cautious change of attitude. But while the implication that such fear, which Rodowsky so expertly describes, can be overcome if the right circumstances prevail may be reassuring, it is also slightly misleading. What's best here is Rodowsky's images of Sara's physical reactions and the psychological ploys she (or anyone) designs to avoid something scary. Such descriptions may well help children put a name to their feelings, even as Bates' black-and-white sketches capture all the terror. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0374364109
• ISBN 13: 9780374364106
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Bates Amy June
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 112