Two Dog Biscuits

by Beverly Cleary, DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan (Illustrator), Mary Stevens (Illustrator)

There are big dogs, little dogs, curly dogs, dogs that sniff, and dogs that wag their tails. But only one dog will get biscuits from twins Jimmy and Janet -- or will it? Maybe dog biscuits aren't just for dogs after all!

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Fiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1986

About the author

Beverly Atlee Cleary was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction. One of America's most successful authors, 91 million copies of her books have been sold worldwide since her first book was published in 1950. Some of her best known characters are Ramona Quimby and Beezus Quimby, Henry Huggins and his dog Ribsy, and Ralph S. Mouse.
The majority of Cleary's books are set in the Grant Park neighborhood of northeast Portland, Oregon, where she was raised, and she has been credited as one of the first authors of children's literature to figure emotional realism in the narratives of her characters, often children in middle-class families. Her first children's book was Henry Huggins after a question from a kid when Cleary was a librarian. Cleary won the 1981 National Book Award for Ramona and Her Mother and the 1984 Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw. For her lifetime contributions to American literature, she received the National Medal of Arts, recognition as a Library of Congress Living Legend, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal from the Association for Library Service to Children. The Beverly Cleary School, a public school in Portland, was named after her, and several statues of her most famous characters were erected in Grant Park in 1995. Cleary died on March 25, 2021, at the age of 104.

Reviews

[Flannery · Rating 1 out of 5]

What kind of troll gives a Beverly Cleary children's book one star, right? Don't worry, I'll tell you exactly why...while spoiling the entire plot of this very short picture book:

Twins, a boy and a girl, are given two milkbone dog biscuits.
They leave them various places around the house until they decide to give them to dogs.
They then go around town seeing all sorts of dogs with their biscuits in their pockets and VETO EACH ONE for reasons like the size of the dog or the fact that the dog barked.
They go home and feed both bones to their cat.
Their parents didn't think a cat would eat them, but it did.

Lesson everyone is supposed to learn: Sometimes parents don't know everything.

Lesson I learned: These twins are monsters. Who teases dogs like that? And what parent would let their kids tease dogs like that?

Clearly Beverly Cleary 2012, Book 5.

[Kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't know that Beverly Cleary had written picture books. This one is a little too dated for me to like it, which is odd considering that one of the things that I have always liked about Cleary's chapter books is that they don't feel anywhere near as dated as most books from that era do. This one presents the mom as a silly, not very smart character, and the twins as kind of spoiled, so I'll pass.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since Jimmy and Janet are four years old, they can draw pictures and sing “Skip to My Lou” and pump themselves up high on the swings and swat flies.

Jimmy and Janet are twins, so they share the same birthday. They both go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time. They always have each other to play with, an arrangement their mother thinks is perfect.

One day the twins go next door to visit Mrs. Robbins. She gives each of them a dog biscuit. But Jimmy and Janet do not have a dog.

What will they do with their dog biscuits?

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Preschoolers will find much to appreciate in this delightful picture book that focuses on the everyday things that fill a child’s life. As the children search for just the right dog to receive their dog biscuits, the young reader can easily relate to the way the children in the story interact with the world.

Colorful, relatable illustrations accompany the story, showing the young reader family life that may be similar to his or her own. Through the story, the child identifies a problem and works to find a solution. And the solution to the problem of what to do with the dog biscuits may surprise the young reader.

Highly recommended.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Janet and Jimmy a pair of four year old twins are each given a dog biscuit by their neighbor Mrs. Robbins. The twin's mother takes them on a walk to find a dog to give the biscuits to. There are many dogs to chose from, but the twins cannot decide which dog is worthy enough to have the biscuits. They finally decide on who will get the biscuits, and their choice surprises their mother.

[Donna Mork · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story about twins. They get a dog biscuit from the neighbor, then try to find the right dog to give it to. They end up giving it to a cat.

[JS · Rating 4 out of 5]

That tiger cat must have been really big and strong, and hungry. :)

[Pinky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jimmy and Janet give their dog biscuits to a cat.

[Gil-or (readingbooksinisrael) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The duo are back! Beverly Cleary is great at writing kids because that is exactly how kids would act, but it was a little long. DyAnne's pictures felt a bit cluttered to me this time.

3.5 stars

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of the four picture books Cleary wrote about twins Jimmy and Janet, this one has the oddest plot. It was still charming, but not quite as engaging as the other three.

[Jennie Park]

Beverly Cleary has been my all time favorite children's author. This story is about two twins who got dog biscuits from their neighbor and are looking for dogs in the park to give it to. Finally, the twins decide to give their dog biscuit to a cat. Their mother said that cats could not eat dog biscuits but the twins proved her wrong. One message that is conveyed through this story is that no one is perfect, not even adults! Adults can make mistakes and can learn different facts just like children can.

[Shuntia Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book two twins are searching for a dog to give their biscuits to. When they can't find a dog they try giving their biscuits to a cat who actually ate it! I would use this story with students when talking about prediction.

[Robin Morris · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very simple story about 4-year-old twins who eventually feed dog biscuits to a cat. The story ends with their father coming home and the twins' recapping the book for him. The father exclaims, "What a joke on Mother!"

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cats eating dog biscuits...mind blown. Cute picture book (it is from the chapter from the book Two Times the fun) and I am going to try to get a cat to eat a dog biscuit!