My Big Dog

Janet Stevens And Susan Stevens Crummel

4.15

295 ratings by Goodreads

ISBN 10: 1442001526 ISBN 13: 9781442001527

Publisher: Golden Books, 1999

Caldecott Medalist, Janet Stevens, along with her sister, Susan Stevens-Crummel, tell a charming tale about a cat named Merl, who sees his peaceful life turn upside down when a Golden Retreiver puppy moves into the household. First in the series, My Big Dog is perfect for storytime, bedtime, or anytime!

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About the Author:

Janet Stevens won a Caldecott Honor for her humorous illustrations in Tops & Bottoms. She has illustrated many engaging and comical children’s book favorites, including And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon, Epossumondas, Cook-a-Doodle-Doo!, and others. She lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Susan Stevens Crummel and her sister, illustrator Janet Stevens, have published a number of picture books together.

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 2-A disgruntled feline tells his story. Everything in the house belongs to Merl until an intruder arrives-an annoying puppy that licks him and follows him around. When the golden retriever grows up, the cat hits the road, convinced that they can never be friends. Several people try to adopt Merl but nothing works out to his satisfaction. One lady dresses him up with bows and ribbons and a ridiculous striped jacket. Forlorn, he's rescued by the dog and taken home. Maybe they can be friends after all. Merl's first-person narrative is to the point; however, as the action progresses, the cat's deadpan, smugly superior voice begins to border on the pathetic. Instead of staying on the top of his game, he becomes a pawn through his own stubborn behavior; while his dress-up get-up may look funny, it only serves to highlight his fall from grace. Once back home, the cat declares himself the ruler but it's really the dog that wins children's hearts. Initially the scruffy, unkempt, free-flowing pastels are humorous and energizing. In the few scenes with people, the humans are pictured in photographic gray, creating an intriguing and visually arresting juxtaposition to the splashy, colorful animal world. However, as Merl continues to mope about on the pages, readers' interest and sympathy begin to wane. What starts out as funny and original becomes overused. Merl might tell readers he's "a very special cat," but it's hard to know why.
Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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