What do you think?
Rate this book
The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library
If I Ran the Dog Show: All About Dogs
In this latest installment of the Cat in the Hat's Learning Library,the Cat and Co. attend the Short-Shaggy-Tail-Waggy Super Dog Show, a strictly Seussian-style event where readers learn—among other things—that dogs are mammals who vary wildly in size and shape; the difference between purebreds and mutts (who are both featured throughout); how tails help dogs to balance; that they can see better in dim light than we can; the amazing things they've been trained to do; and much, much more. Fans of the new PBS preschool science show The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! (which is based on the Cat in the Hat's Learning Library) won't want to miss this doggone good new addition to the series!
48 pages, Hardcover
First published January 10, 2012
6 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
About the author
Tish Rabe
180 books49 followersTish Rabe is the bestselling author of over 170 books for Sesame Street, Disney, Dr. Seuss, and many more. She is Founder and Content Creator of Tish Rabe Books, LLC, an independent publishing company that partners with nonprofits and businesses to create books that make a positive difference in the lives of children, parents, teachers, and caregivers worldwide.
"Sweet Dreams Ahead Time for Bed" is a gentle, rhyming storybook written in partnership with Pajama Program, a national nonprofit that promotes healthy sleep routines and gives pajamas and books to children facing adversity.
"Days Can Be Sunny for Bunnies and Money", helps children learn how to manage money. It was produced with Clarity 2 Prosperity, a business development company for financial advisors. To learn more, visit tishrabe.com.
"Sweet Dreams Ahead Time for Bed" is a gentle, rhyming storybook written in partnership with Pajama Program, a national nonprofit that promotes healthy sleep routines and gives pajamas and books to children facing adversity.
"Days Can Be Sunny for Bunnies and Money", helps children learn how to manage money. It was produced with Clarity 2 Prosperity, a business development company for financial advisors. To learn more, visit tishrabe.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 17, 2023
So the title is misleading, they go to a dog show, but doesn't answer the question how he would run the dog show. But it does pack a WHOLE lot of info on different dogs and their attributes. It is narrated by the cat in the hat, and he gets help from thing 1 and thing 2, so a good tie in to other books a child maybe read. A good one to read to a kid and talk about dog breeds and what they like. And it all is done with words that rhyme.
I like this part:
When we walk in the door,
they come running to meet us.
Wet kisses and tail wags
are right there to greet us
There are many things
that all these dogs can do,
but what they want most
is to spend time with you.
I like this part:
When we walk in the door,
they come running to meet us.
Wet kisses and tail wags
are right there to greet us
There are many things
that all these dogs can do,
but what they want most
is to spend time with you.
December 1, 2019
If I Ran the Dog Show: All About Dogs is a great informational book about different breeds of dogs as well as general information of dogs in a rhyming style. Children who are reading this book are able to learn new information at their own pace and look at pictures to resemble what they're learning. The illustrations in this story are of course in Dr. Seuss style but is not written by Dr. Seuss. The illustrations are full of color and there was plenty on each page to look at. I think that the font of the text is large and helpful for new readers, but is also complex to a degree that will challenge advanced readers of a young age. I would recommend this book for advanced kindergarteners and 1st grade.
March 14, 2020
We have a German shepherd and we are big fans of rescues. I wanted to read this book to see if I wanted to donate several to our rescue to give to potential adopters or fosters. Very cute and fun to read out loud. At least I like to read out loud. My husband and our dog are not big fans of being my audience. Great book for kids and dog lovers.
April 11, 2021
I just read this book to my niece who loves dogs. I found myself skipping paragraphs not because they were long but because the dog body language portion was sooo off and incorrect that i didn’t want her thinking those things and getting the wrong information. Cute idea but hopefully kids don’t take in too much.
December 15, 2018
Nice. Cute and clever
October 11, 2019
Entertaining and informative, though the bit on dog body language was sub par
January 15, 2022
Very cute book
August 22, 2023
Loved this little read. I love most of the books from the Learning Library.
November 6, 2025
This is a fun way to learn about dogs.
March 5, 2017
If I Ran the Dog Show All About Dogs by Tish Rabe introduces children to the wonderful world of dogs. With the Cat in the Hat as their guide, a little boy and girl set off to the dog show. While there, the children learn numerous facts about dogs.
I absolutely loved this book! The illustrations by Aristides Ruiz and Joe Mathieu pay homage to the great Dr. Seuss and are simply adorable. If the reader looks closely, he/she will notice that the humans look like their dogs on page 4. I also love how the book sheds light on the importance of therapy dogs and their work along with descriptions of other working dogs.
I would highly recommend this book to readers and dog lovers of all ages. Readers will delight in the whimsical illustrations and will walk away with an increased knowledge in all things canine. There is even a glossary in the back of the book as well as a For Further Reading section which suggests other books about dogs that readers might enjoy. Bring home this tail-wagging good book today!
I absolutely loved this book! The illustrations by Aristides Ruiz and Joe Mathieu pay homage to the great Dr. Seuss and are simply adorable. If the reader looks closely, he/she will notice that the humans look like their dogs on page 4. I also love how the book sheds light on the importance of therapy dogs and their work along with descriptions of other working dogs.
I would highly recommend this book to readers and dog lovers of all ages. Readers will delight in the whimsical illustrations and will walk away with an increased knowledge in all things canine. There is even a glossary in the back of the book as well as a For Further Reading section which suggests other books about dogs that readers might enjoy. Bring home this tail-wagging good book today!
August 8, 2016
An in-depth (for children) look at dogs and how they're different from each other and from us from The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library, it's the Cat in the Hat encountering a number of dog breeds with all their varying characteristics in a standalone picture book to lure children into reading non-fiction.
My Take
This was deceptive. I thought I was picking up a Dr. Seuss story, but If I Ran the Dog Show is actually from The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library. That's not to say that Seussian characters don't populate the story, however!
Rabe does pull in the fun with the Short-Shaggy-Tail-Waggy Super Dog Show — good luck to parents trying to waggle their tongues around that! She does keep up the rhyming, although it is quite labored as Rabe struggles to find words to "match". She does lack that crazy Seuss touch, sigh…
The images are bright and cheerful. I had to laugh as I read the dog-as-puzzle pages, *shakes her head, laughing* I suspect adults will get much more out of this particular dive into dogs than the kids will. Maybe it's something they'll go back to as they get older…? I know I got quite a bit out of it. Although, thinking of dog brisket so close to dinner…no…
Using the Dalmatian to have puppies was quite clever. It'll bring to mind the Disney movie, 101 Dalmatians, and pull the kids further in.
All in all, it's a cute book with a lot of information about dogs that is intended for young kids, but the word choices are for much older kids. Still, if you have a dog and want to teach the kids about him or her, you may want this one.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a cartoon Yorkshire terrier (I think) standing on a pedestal atop a table with Thing 1 giving him a blue ribbon. On the right is the Cat in the Hat holding the dog's leash. A slew of tiny geometric shapes in blues, green, red, and yellow stand out against a turquoise background in an angled border at the top with the library logo. The title itself is in a lime green with the subtitle in yellow. The author's name and those of the illustrators are at the bottom in white. The background itself is a gradated purple.
The title reflects the Cat in the Hat and How He
If I
Ran [Through] the Dog Show.
My Take
This was deceptive. I thought I was picking up a Dr. Seuss story, but If I Ran the Dog Show is actually from The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library. That's not to say that Seussian characters don't populate the story, however!
Rabe does pull in the fun with the Short-Shaggy-Tail-Waggy Super Dog Show — good luck to parents trying to waggle their tongues around that! She does keep up the rhyming, although it is quite labored as Rabe struggles to find words to "match". She does lack that crazy Seuss touch, sigh…
The images are bright and cheerful. I had to laugh as I read the dog-as-puzzle pages, *shakes her head, laughing* I suspect adults will get much more out of this particular dive into dogs than the kids will. Maybe it's something they'll go back to as they get older…? I know I got quite a bit out of it. Although, thinking of dog brisket so close to dinner…no…
Using the Dalmatian to have puppies was quite clever. It'll bring to mind the Disney movie, 101 Dalmatians, and pull the kids further in.
All in all, it's a cute book with a lot of information about dogs that is intended for young kids, but the word choices are for much older kids. Still, if you have a dog and want to teach the kids about him or her, you may want this one.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a cartoon Yorkshire terrier (I think) standing on a pedestal atop a table with Thing 1 giving him a blue ribbon. On the right is the Cat in the Hat holding the dog's leash. A slew of tiny geometric shapes in blues, green, red, and yellow stand out against a turquoise background in an angled border at the top with the library logo. The title itself is in a lime green with the subtitle in yellow. The author's name and those of the illustrators are at the bottom in white. The background itself is a gradated purple.
The title reflects the Cat in the Hat and How He
September 10, 2014
This book is one of many books that are part of The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library. The Cat in the Hat is on his way to a dog show ad invites the children to go with him. The book is all about dogs and it teaches children all about the different breed of dogs, what they look like and even breaks down the anatomy of dogs to make easy for kids to understand. The author does this by using the typical rhyming style that was used by Dr. Seus. Children loves dogs so it will be easy for them to relate to this book, especially if they have a dog at home. The Cat in the Hat series is loved many kids and I believe many of them will want to read this book just by looking at the front cover, which features the Cat in the Hat, Thing One and a dog. This book introduces children to basic concepts, it is also entertaining and educational at the same time. The important message in the book is that dogs are really mes best friends, they are special animals that give us love and that we should love them back.
You can tell that the illustrations are super colorful just by looking at the cover and the Cat in the Hat for sure will grace the kids attention. The illustrators, Aristides Ruiz and Joe Mathieu did a wonderful job illustrating the different breed of dogs. They paid very good attention to detail such as the shape of the ears, fingers, eyes and tails. One illustration that I really like was the one on page 11, where the illustrator divided the body of a dog into puzzle pieces that are 3-D like. Children will want to touch the picture thinking they are actual puzzle pieces. I also enjoyed the illustration on the pages where the author was talking about seeing eye dogs and therapy dogs. I though that was a wonderful way of keeping the children engaged in the book.
You can tell that the illustrations are super colorful just by looking at the cover and the Cat in the Hat for sure will grace the kids attention. The illustrators, Aristides Ruiz and Joe Mathieu did a wonderful job illustrating the different breed of dogs. They paid very good attention to detail such as the shape of the ears, fingers, eyes and tails. One illustration that I really like was the one on page 11, where the illustrator divided the body of a dog into puzzle pieces that are 3-D like. Children will want to touch the picture thinking they are actual puzzle pieces. I also enjoyed the illustration on the pages where the author was talking about seeing eye dogs and therapy dogs. I though that was a wonderful way of keeping the children engaged in the book.
April 7, 2014
If I Ran the Dog Show: All About Dogs, by Tish Rabe (The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library by Random House, 45 pages, 2012, $8.99, ages 5-8)
“Seussian”
The cover depicts the Cat in the Hat so I thought this was another Seussian installment. Instead, it is one in a new series of like-minded books by Random House, which also includes A Great Day for Pup and Oh! The Pets You Can Get! and titles like If I Ran the Rain Forest and Inside your Outside.
First Non-Fiction Series for Kids
This series is for the youngest readers and gives them non-fiction to whet their appetites - dogs are a subject every kid knows something about - pertinent to their world yet giving more information than they may yet know.
Pages are busy with sometimes three paragraphs of rhyme and as many drawings, as the reader attends the Short-Shaggy-Tail-Waggy Super Dog Show.
Where’s the. . . ?
The rhyming scheme and storyline don’t quite measure up to what I expected – not really Seussian, but a good try, nevertheless, and a good introduction to non-fiction. Here’s hoping the other books in the series follow a great plot!
Bonus: A glossary, a list of additional books and an index make for a really ‘grown-up’ book for both the young and the young at heart.
“Seussian”
The cover depicts the Cat in the Hat so I thought this was another Seussian installment. Instead, it is one in a new series of like-minded books by Random House, which also includes A Great Day for Pup and Oh! The Pets You Can Get! and titles like If I Ran the Rain Forest and Inside your Outside.
First Non-Fiction Series for Kids
This series is for the youngest readers and gives them non-fiction to whet their appetites - dogs are a subject every kid knows something about - pertinent to their world yet giving more information than they may yet know.
Pages are busy with sometimes three paragraphs of rhyme and as many drawings, as the reader attends the Short-Shaggy-Tail-Waggy Super Dog Show.
Where’s the. . . ?
The rhyming scheme and storyline don’t quite measure up to what I expected – not really Seussian, but a good try, nevertheless, and a good introduction to non-fiction. Here’s hoping the other books in the series follow a great plot!
Bonus: A glossary, a list of additional books and an index make for a really ‘grown-up’ book for both the young and the young at heart.
October 28, 2014
This book is about The Cat in the Hat going to a dog show and inviting a bunch of children to go with him. The book breaks down all the different aspects of being a dog. The book covers the different breeds, what they look like, personality and even anatomy. This book is great for kids who have an interest or passion for dogs or even just animals in general. The book is very bright and vibrant. You can tell by the cover the book is full of color with bright and full illustrations.
February 17, 2013
Seems like everyone is getting on the "nonfiction bandwagon"!--even Dr. Seuss! A "Cat in the Hat Learning Library" book. Similar Dr. Seuss language and illustrations with dog facts interspersed in the rhyming text.
March 10, 2014
This is a cute concept, but honestly I don't care for the execution. It misses the mark on some of the rhymes and the words were swallowed up by the gutter in some places, making this a poor read for kids who are trying to read alongside someone else.
September 9, 2014
Great little book about different kinds of dogs. No Pomeranians, though
December 25, 2014
I like it very much.
March 20, 2016
loved this book. very good for teaching children about caring for animals and all the things animal can do.
September 20, 2015
Full of many different types of dogs.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews