Please Take Me For a Walk - Hardcover

Gal, Susan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0375858636 ISBN 13: 9780375858635

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2010

Synopsis

Please Take Me for a Walk is a celebration of dogs and kids and community.

 

The book stars a very persuasive pup pleading with his best friend—the reader!—to take him for a walk. He recounts all the fun things they can see and do: chase squirrels in the yard, greet neighbors on their block, visit the shopkeepers downtown, swing by the schoolyard, and then run and play in the park. The dog run at the park is filled with all kinds of amazing purebreds and mutts, and our puppy wants them all to see "my best friend and me."

 

Susan Gal uses this story of a dog's best walk ever to catalog all the favorite places in a child's world. She starts in the house and the yard, then widens her scope to the block, the neighborhood, downtown, and the park. And she captures the magical way the people of a community can be brought together through their pets.

 

The dog's enthusiastic voice and eagerness to go out walking will resonate with any dog owner. And Susan Gal's artwork is so enticing and adorable it will have even confirmed cat lovers heading for the pound!

 

Happy walking, everyone!

About this title

About the Author:

Susan Gal began her illustration career as a poster and calendar artist. She then worked as an "actor with a pencil" for Disney Animation Florida before returning to her native California to create lively and whimsical illustrations.

 

Susan Gal's first picture book was Night Lights, which also featured a great dog character. But the inspiration for this book was Susan's own best friend, the Boston terrier Wanda Woo.

 

Susan lives in Berkeley, California, with her husband, her daughter, and assorted studio pets. You can read more about her work at galgirlstudio.com.

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 1—The star of this book, a fuzzy white terrier, is the quintessence of dogdom. The title serves as a refrain, and at each repetition children see only the pup against a green background, looking hopeful and appealing as he romps around on his red-and-white gingham leash. The other pages are awash with charming autumnal scenes that depict the heart of a village and all the happy activities the dog envisions himself engaging in: "I need to chase away the neighbor's cat,/send the birds back to their nests,/and keep the squirrels high up in the trees...." This is readers' opportunity to enjoy many aspects of their own world through the safety and enthusiasm of the animal's eyes. Children will appreciate the vitality and diversity in each picture, executed in charcoal on paper with digital collages. They'll see families in the park, stores with friendly proprietors, houses, sidewalks, vehicles, mail carriers, and a spectacular variety of other dogs. The collages contribute a riot of texture and color to each page. This delightful addition will have children voicing a request very much like the pup's: to get out and interact with their communities.—Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY
(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

About this edition

• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0375858636
• ISBN 13: 9780375858635
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 40