Good Boy, Fergus!

by David Shannon

Follow Fergus as he experiences the perfect doggy day—well, except for his bath, of course! From chasing cats and motorcycles to being scratched on his favorite "tickle spot," David Shannon's newest sweet and silly character will inspire young readers to laugh out loud at his mischievous antics. Fans of Shannon's previous books will love reading all about this naughty but lovable dog!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Dogs, Fiction, Humor, Storytime

40 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2006

About the author

David Shannon is the author and illustrator of many highly praised books for children. Born in Washington, D.C., he grew up in Spokane, Washington. He graduated from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, with a fine arts degree, and then moved to New York City. His editorial illustrations have appeared in The New York Times, Time, and Rolling Stone, and his artwork has appeared on numerous book jackets. Shannon is a passionate baseball fan and softball player. He and his wife now live in Los Angeles.


David Shannon @ Scholastic

Reviews

[J-Lynn Van Pelt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who has ever had a dog. With each page, I laughed about how simply Shannon has captured both the joys and frustrations of owning a dog. The two page spread where the owner tries to get Fergus to come inside, going from polite calling to shouting desperation to pathetic begging all while Fergus innocently smells a tree, shows that Shannon knows the life of a dog owner. But, my favorite part of the book is a colorful four panel progression showing Fergus begging at the dinner table.

The writing and illustrations are typical of David Shannon. The drawings are child-like paintings that are both simplistic and detailed. The sparse writing scrawls wildly across the pages.

The best part of the book is that kids will love the bright colorful pictures of the adorable Fergus, and adults will love the truth behind the story.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow...I just read some of the reviews giving this book 1, 2 and 3 stars. I really don't understand this and some of the justifications are interesting. It's true that there isn't much story in here but the illustrations tell the story. There are many things for children to look for and to discuss with their guardians.

As a Westie owner myself I had to have this book. The images are gorgeous and I could relate to everything the owner endured and the dog did. I especially related to the centrefold where Fergus has ben into a pot plant.The style is just lovely and Fergus is loveable.

To those who question why the owner enables the dogs behaviour...well this just makes me laugh out loud. You clearly haven't owned a dog let alone a Westie, who are innately stubborn and independent creatures.

An excellent picture book suitable for all ages.

[Agnė · Rating 4 out of 5]

The star of this laugh-out-loud picturebook is David Shannon's own dog, a naughty yet adorable West Highland terrier, Fergus.

The silly and sweet story in Good Boy, Fergus! (which is visually and plot-wise reminiscent of Shannon's Caldecott Honor-winning No, David!) is told through the close collaboration between brightly colored, cartoonish illustrations and a few hand-drawn phrases that together perfectly capture the joys and frustrations of a dog owner:



I wouldn't feed my dog whipped cream though...

[NaTaya Hastings · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was an awful excuse for a children's book. Absolutely dreadful.

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fergus is a good boy no matter what he does. This terrier doesn't listen, chases cats and motorcycles, and digs up the potted plant. Dog lovers will relate to the challenges of owning a dog. Minimal text with beautiful illustrations tell the story of adorable Fergus to children. Overall, a delightful book.

[Emily Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book starts off with a really interesting technique called end pages. Not all authors use end pages but they are a cute add in to story books and provide a few more pictures for the children to look at. The end pages in Good Boy, Fergus have white backgrounds with a bunch of different pictures of bones all over them. The book tells a cute short story about a dog named Fergus. The book takes the reader through a perfect doggy day. Fergus enjoys everything that he does and has so much chasing cats, chasing motorcycles and being scrated in his faborite tickle spot. This book will inspire students to laugh out loud at all of the silly and mischievous antics. It is a story that could be used in any kindergarten through 2nd grade classroom. There are many fun activities that could be used with this book in the classroom. It could also just be a fun book to read for story time.

[midnightfaerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a lot of deep text, but a great story nonetheless. Anyone with a dog will be able to relate to this one, and children are no exception. Something that kept all my aged children engaged, we all enjoyed this one.

[Kristen Dutkiewicz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute illustrations, but I'll always prefer No David!

[Michelle Fahrenkrog · Rating 5 out of 5]

El mejor libro <3

[Melissa Goembel]

Good boy Fergus is another spin off of David Shannon's life. The dog in the story is based on David's dog.

[Kirsten Whisler · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not a fan of David Shannon illustrations or their messages and I didn't realize who wrote it when I picked this book up. I will say that it definitely was relatable when Fergus was being called to come inside and the author had to call him multiple times to get his attention. It really made me think of my own dog and how hard it is for me to get him to come inside when he is exploring the yard. It was a cute story but I enjoy stories with more of a plot line rather than random events.

[Angela Ball · Rating 5 out of 5]

(KidLit ED204 category: illustrator project)
"Good Boy, Fergus!" is written and illustrated by David Shannon, of "No, David!" fame!
Fergus is a cute little puppy that just has a little bit of trouble understanding what his human wants him to do. Even so, his human always has a "Good Boy" for little Fergus. Fergus' silly antics, including peeing on everything in sight (at least it was outside!) will have kids of all ages giggling. A happy little book!

[Rachel Kinney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose Good Boy, Fergus! for the Gryphon Award book. This adorable story is about a dog that is very rambunctious and has a hard time listening. Fergus is like the David of dogs and this book is just as entertaining as David's. This book would be very fun to read to preschoolers and I feel like they would become very involved in the story because of all the mischief that Fergus gets into. The illustrations are very bright and full of energy and drama.

[Shonna]

I liked this book right away, but I wasn’t sure exactly why. After reading it again, I realized it was the way the dog’s owner continues to adore him despite his mischief. The pooch is the perfect stand in for a toddler or preschooler who rarely wants to do what is asked, but is irresistibly cute while causing trouble and ignoring the rules. The book is a gentle reminder that love transcends frustration, and it does this without using a human kid character readers might be tempted to imitate. (Also, the adorable face of the fluffy pooch makes me want a dog, against my better judgment, for a full ten minutes after I close the book. Fergus!)

[Kaethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally Shannon's style doesn't work for me, the same way Dave McKean doesn't. But this was cute.

[Kaitlin Heaton]

Picture book

Fun book for kids to read.

[Brindi Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

humorous picture book on what a human says to their dog on a daily basis.

[Chasen Meirovits · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Boy, Fergus! by David Shannon is a funny, entertaining story about a dog named Fergus who is always finding a way to get into trouble. Whether that meant chasing cats, motorcycles, knocking over plants and just doing things that dogs tend to do, Fergus is still a "good boy" at the end of the day no matter what he has done. Fergus would not always come when he was called or eat when he should and when he would be told to lay down or roll over, he would do the exact opposite. The story starts with Fergus being taken for a walk outside when he sees a cat and decides to chase it. Then, he chooses not to respond when he is called numerous times by his owner. Then when they return home, Fergus wants his owner to scratch him in his favorite tickle spot. When its time to give Fergus a bath, he hides under the bed, but as a reward for taking a bath, his owner takes him for a ride in the car. As Fergus is taken for another walk, he sees a motorcycle and decides to chase it. When its time for dinner, Fergus doesn't want to eat his food until his owner puts whip cream all over it. After a long day being a dog, Fergus takes a nap for the rest of the day.

The artistic style used for the images in this book is cartoon art. It seems as if the illustrator used a mix of colored pencils and paint to create the pictures. Shannon uses mostly two page full bleed images throughout the story, putting the main focus on the images rather than the short text on each page. The illustrator uses a variety of colors, but the colors yellow, orange, and red were used most possibly to signal a sense of energy and passion showed by the dog Fergus through the entire book. I really enjoyed how much effort and time was put into creating these vivid and extraordinary images. They look as if the author intended this to almost be a wordless picture book. With the giant fonts used and detailed pictures on each page, this book was very enjoyable and fun to read. Although there wasn't much text used, it was used effectively on certain pages and made the overall reading experience that much better. What was also interesting about this book is how the very first page contained pictures of various chew toys and dog bones to give the reader a sense of the what the book would consist of. I would absolutely recommend this book to children 6-8 years old and this such a great book to read!

[Mia Mihalic · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a cute read and very enjoyable. I read this book to some of my kids at work and they were so engaged with this story. This story tells a tale of a dog named Fergus. Fergus loves relaxing and being a calm dog till bath time comes around. In this book, Fergus tries everything he can to avoid bath time such as running away, sleeping, and anything else you can think of a bad dog doing. I really enjoyed the illustrations of this book because they look hand-drawn so it gives the book a more entertaining and realistic feel. The use of illustrations really developed this book because it shows all the silly things that Fergus was doing to avoid bath time, which the children engaged with so much more than the actual words in the story. I think that this book would be great for any elementary school classroom 1st-3rd grade because of the silly and engaging feel it would give to a larger group fo children. Overall, this is a perfect picture storybook for young children to be able to laugh and enjoy a funny story.

[Louise Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: easy-to-read picture book*
Awards: none
Audience: Kindergarten-2nd grade
a. This book falls in the easy-to-read category because each page has limited words and the text is very big. You can tell what is going on by just looking at the illustrations. Most of the pages even only have 1-3 words.
b. One visual element that stood out was the use of texture. On each page you could tell how Fergus was supposed to feel depending on the situation. His fur was crazy and all over the place and you can tell what it would feel like if you pet him.
c. I would use this book with a smaller group of beginning readers because the words are big and easy to read. It does not have a complex story line and helps with sounding out words. It is used for basic reading and is really cute because children love dogs. The dog does silly things throughout the story so it also has a sense of humor to it.
d. What phrase is repeated throughout the book? Good boy Fergus.

[Anna Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the daily life of a dog named Fergus. He chases cats, cars, gets lots of pets, goes for a walk, and gets a bath. Each page tells a different part of Fergus’ day. There are limited words on each page, so the illustrations play a huge part in telling the activities Fergus is doing. One of my favorite pages is when through the illustrations we see Fergus has gotten into a flowerpot and knocked it over, all the word on this page say is “FERGUS!” I thought it was a great use of illustration to tell the story when there is not text to tell the reader. This book can definitely help develop visual literacy for readers at a young age through this funny picture book. Any dog owner will be able to relate to the events that Fergus goes through, including begging for food at the dinner table! I really enjoyed this book, it made me laugh and young readers will be able to quickly pick up this book and read.

[Taylor Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book follows a little dog named Fergus through his daily life activities. Fergus goes for a walk,got his belly scratched, performed some tricks for treats and even got a bath. I really enjoyed reading this book because it reminded me of things my dog does. Such as chase cars, hating taking a bath and eating whip cream. I also really liked how the text of the book appear. It covered a lot of the page, was colorful and changed size depending on how someone would say the word.For example, when the owner would yell Fergus the word would be larger than all the other words on the page.I also liked how colorful the illustrations are and how they take up the entire page. I can see myself using this book in a classroom. All of the antics that Fergus gets into would make the children laugh.

[Maria Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meet David Shannon's beloved dog,Fergus! Fergus a typical dog is depicted doing typical dog things throughout the story dedicated to him the reader can see the Fergus gets belly rubs, he gets to play outside, bark at things outside while on his walk, and then he gets the dreaded bath that no dog likes. David Shannon did a wonderful job of capturing a day in a dog's life in Good Boy, Fergus. This has to be one of my all time favorite children's books I have read to date. I feel like I can relate to this book since I have a dog that looks and acts a lot like Fergus does in the book! Many readers, I believe, can relate to this book since many people have pets. Even people who do not have a pet of their own, can enjoy the book just as much since David Shannon does such a wonderful job portraying what it is like to have a pet.

[Elizabeth Nelson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fergus the dog is always getting in trouble. He doesn’t come when he is called, he chases cats, and sometimes he makes big messes. But, Fergus is always a good boy. Fergus does the opposite of what is asked of him every time but is always rewarded and given praise. Children will be able to see why rewards are given for positive behavior and why it is important to keep yourself and others accountable. Ask students if there was ever something their friends did they you thought was bad behavior and what they did about it. The teachable aspect of this book, is that even if you make mistakes there will always be enough unconditional love to go around. I felt that this children’s book was a breath of fresh air to David Shannon’s vast collection of published picture books and portrays a commonly reoccurring message within children’s literature in a unique and different way.

[Sydney Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Boy, Fergus! by David Shannon takes readers through the life of a dog. From chasing cars, to playing outside, to running after motorcycles, Fergus is far from a perfect dog. But, at the end of the day, his owner still displays his love for Fergus because he is always a good boy.
The illustrations in this book are fun, bright and happy. David Shannon makes this book relatable to his readers by focusing on an average day with a dog. Readers who have dogs can relate to the ups and downs of being a dog owner, but know that you will always love them at the end of the day.
This is a great book for a primary classroom because students can engage in art projects or discussions once they finish reading the novel. This is also a very fun story to read, as the author made the text fun and humorous.
I give this book a 3/5.

[Eryn Earsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Shannon's illustrations paint the perfect picture to the text. Fergus the dog has the best day ever. He loves to chase cats, to get scratched and petted, roll around in the dirt, going for walk and eating. Fergus doesn’t like loud noises, bath time or having to go inside when he’s not ready. Fergus loves his human and loves to be with him. Fergus the dog is beat after a long day of playing and being lazy. This book is great for beginners because there are little words in each page and simple enough sentences. This book would be great practice for young readers too. The funny story line and vivid illustrations are so much fun young readers to see. All teachers of younger grades would benefit from having this in there collection because so many students would go after it right away.

[Lucy Orr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fergus is a dog that we get to follow around throughout his day and see what he does. Fergus gets loud and rowdy around cats and motorcycles and really loves whipped cream on his food. He is your typical dog that loves a good belly scratch and just loves to be loved. I thought this book was really entertaining and appropriately written for the age range it is written to. I think this book would be a really good tool in the classroom to show a process. We see Fergus' process of going through the day, and we wake up and go to sleep with him.

[Taylor Oddo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for dog owners to read with their children or just to themselves. It is a laughable book about a dog's day of adventures, except for when it is bath time. This book it meant to be funny and enjoyable for whatever audience that is reading this book. David Shannon uses oil pastels in his illustrations, to make the characters look more lively to his audiences. The poses that he uses for the dog is very dramatic and funny, which goes with the humorous theme of the book. The colors he uses are bright and enjoyable to the eyes of the audience.

[Brianna Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just an adorable book about what a dogs life is like with a loving owner. How a dog is taught tricks, goes for walks, begs for food, and loves to be scratched on the tummy. The pictures in the book were adorable and made the actions of the dog come to life. There were not too many words which would make this a good book for early readers. Also children can probably relate to Fergus because they have a dog at home who acts like him possibly.

[Nadina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute and short and funny. I think it is extremely relatable to anyone who owns a dog, I certainly saw my own dog in at least parts of the book, even if the illustrations didn't match my book, I think it's a book that just calls to you to relate and say "hey, my dog does that too".
The illustrations were cute and simple.
Over all i really enjoyed this book and would be likely to recommend it.