Are You Ready for Me?

by Claire Buchwald, Amelia Hansen (Illustrator)

Getting a dog can be a wonderful moment in a family’s life—or the beginning of a bad situation for everyone. In Are You Ready for Me? engaging text and colorful, detail-filled pictures describe the responsibilities and joys of dog ownership in the lives of two children. A dog and a pup waiting to be chosen at an animal adoption center pose questions that show what it will mean to bring a dog into one’s family. The book’s final page offers a We Are Ready to Have a Dog Contract with questions to check off; children and parents together will be able to decide whether they really are ready. A link to The Gryphon Press website offers bonuses, including a Ready for Dog Ownership Certificate and even an award certificate for children who are mature enough to realize that they and a dog are not a good match at this point in the child’s life. Are You Ready for Me? is a book that every dog-loving family will want to own. Parents and grandparents will enjoy giving the book as a delightful way to lead up to both the exhilarating moment of adoption and a lifetime of mutual happiness. Claire Buchwald , author of four children’s picture books, including Max Talks to Me (The Gryphon Press, 2007), has a PhD in communications and works to promote children’s creativity. Artist Amelia Hanson has illustrated twenty previous titles, including At the Dog Park with Sam and Lucy (The Gryphon Press, 2006).

Genres: Picture Books

24 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2007

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of the Sit! Stay! Read! picture-books series put out by The Gryphon Press, a small publisher whose aim is to promote humane education for children, this informative and engaging title asks young readers whether they are ready to get a dog. A series of instructions for caring for our canine companions, whether mature dog or puppy, is aimed at two young children, who are shown doing all the things - feeding and grooming, going on walks and playing together, and bringing their dog to the vet - necessary to keep their pup healthy and happy. The conclusion has them in an animal shelter, where they must make a decision: are they ready for the responsibility of having a dog?

I appreciated both the didactic purpose and the execution of Are You Ready for Me?, which strikes me as a wonderful book to be used in families and at animal shelters, when children express a desire for a dog. Although not a story, the narrative here is appealing, especially when paired with the colorful artwork, which shows the two children taking such excellent care of their companions. Animals are a big responsibility, something younger children might not always realize at first. Claire Buchwald offers a gentle introduction to that reality here, one that encourages young people to think and act responsibly and with compassion. There's even a contract at the end, which parents and other concerned adults can photocopy and use with kids eager to adopt a dog.

[Peacegal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll bet animal shelter workers would like to hand out copies of this book for free in their lobbies.

Are You Ready for Me? is, quite simply, one of the best dog care books available for the picture-book set. Children love dogs, and just about every child at one point begs his/her parents for a puppy. However, not every household is ready for the major responsibility of keeping a dog. By encouraging critical thinking skills, the author attempts to head off the impulsive choices that often end with dogs in shelters .

Children (and parents) will get a reality check about the pros and cons of dog care--dogs need walked, even in the rain and cold--and discuss whether they are willing to provide such care. Best of all, the end of the book reassures children whose families are not ready for a dog that they can still love canines even if they don't yet have one of their own. I don't believe I've ever seen a children's book that's ever taken the wise position that keeping a pet just isn't right for everyone.

The book concludes with a dog care checklist for the entire family.

I purchased this book for my library.

[Mandy J. Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a perfect book to read to kids if you are thinking of getting a dog. It's from the view point of a dog and talks about what they need and about being ready to get a dog.