Wag Wag Wag (Read and Wonder) - Hardcover

Hansard, Peter

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 156402301X ISBN 13: 9781564023018

Publisher: Candlewick, 1994

Synopsis

Learn all about what dogs do--including how they woof, chase, sniff, and pant--and why they do it in an exploration for young readers of a dog's world, featuring charming and colorful illustrations.

About this title

From Kirkus Reviews:

The simplest and most disarming of three attractive new entries, all about domestic animals, in the Read and Wonder series. Dogs are introduced here on lively endpapers depicting individuals from nine breeds plus Rover ``the mongrel'' and Wendy ``the other mongrel''; the subsequent text consists solely of significant verbs (e.g., ``sniff''; ``piddle''; ``drool''; ``chase''; ``pant''; ``gnaw''; and of course ``wag'') captioning lively spreads of the dogs in characteristic activities, as a gregarious group in the park or back home where a litter of labs snuggles up to Wendy while their mother naps. Firth conveys an enormous amount about dogs' preoccupations and behavior in sharply observed illustrations that are wonderfully ebullient and entertaining. Hansard's A Field Full of Horses (ISBN: 1-56402- 302-8) is more staid but also conveys a surprising amount with just a few more simple words and Kenneth Lilly's realistic art, while Karen Wallace's My Hen Is Dancing (ISBN: 1-56402-303-6, illustrated by Anita Jeram) is a touch whimsical but equally informative (given that this is a free-range bird on a small British farm). All three are fine early informational books; Wag Wag Wag is outstanding. (Nonfiction/Picture book. 2-7) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

From Booklist:

Ages 2-4. Playful illustrations done in pencil and watercolor humorously stylize characteristic canine behaviors. In extra-large type, the featured doggie actions--sniff, splash, shake, dig, scratch, etc.--are printed on the double-page spreads. While the openmouthed, large-toothed dalmatian in the foreground of the "woof woof" page may actually frighten children who are timid about dogs, the book's overall effect is one of fun and good humor. The "gobble gobble" page, for example, finds one pooch helping itself from the cat's bowl--while the cat looks menacingly on--and the concluding "wag, wag, wag" is an ebullient invitation to get better acquainted with dogs firsthand. The featured canine characters are identified by breed and given names to personalize the book's soft-sell educational intent. Ellen Mandel

About this edition

• Publisher: Candlewick
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 156402301X
• ISBN 13: 9781564023018
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Firth Barbara