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Sophie: A Graphic Novel #1
Sophie: Jurassic Bark
“Sophie is the perfect mix of heart, humor, and hilarity!" - Lincoln Peirce, creator of Big Nate
From the creator the much-loved webcomic, “Dog Eat Doug,” Sophie is a hilarious new graphic novel series, a sendup of family life from the perspective of one snarky dog who wants nothing more than to have everything—without ever having to share.
Life is good when you’re a dog and you have humans all to yourself. But what about when a new baby enters the picture . . . along with a couple of cats intent on taking over the world?
Full of mini adventures, pop culture spoofs, sharp jokes, adorable illustrations, and a sneaky dose of heart, Jurassic Bark and Frankenstein's Hound are the perfect introduction to these characters and their world. Just right for the pet-obsessed among us no matter the age, while simultaneously appealing to the kids who love to giggle at Big Nate, Dog Man, Garfield, and Snoopy.
From the creator the much-loved webcomic, “Dog Eat Doug,” Sophie is a hilarious new graphic novel series, a sendup of family life from the perspective of one snarky dog who wants nothing more than to have everything—without ever having to share.
Life is good when you’re a dog and you have humans all to yourself. But what about when a new baby enters the picture . . . along with a couple of cats intent on taking over the world?
Full of mini adventures, pop culture spoofs, sharp jokes, adorable illustrations, and a sneaky dose of heart, Jurassic Bark and Frankenstein's Hound are the perfect introduction to these characters and their world. Just right for the pet-obsessed among us no matter the age, while simultaneously appealing to the kids who love to giggle at Big Nate, Dog Man, Garfield, and Snoopy.
224 pages, Paperback
Published October 15, 2024
24 people want to read
About the author
Brian Anderson
29 books110 followersBrian Anderson is the creator of the upcoming graphic novels and animated series “Sophie”, based on his syndicated comic, “Dog eat Doug”.
He is also the author of The Conjurers trilogy (Rise of the Shadow, Hunt for the Lost, and Fight of the Fallen) as well as the picture books Nighty Night, Sleepy Sleeps; The Prince’s New Pet; and Monster Chefs. He lives in North Carolina with his family, which includes a herd of rescued dogs and cats.
Visit www.brianandersonwriter.com for free books.
He is also the author of The Conjurers trilogy (Rise of the Shadow, Hunt for the Lost, and Fight of the Fallen) as well as the picture books Nighty Night, Sleepy Sleeps; The Prince’s New Pet; and Monster Chefs. He lives in North Carolina with his family, which includes a herd of rescued dogs and cats.
Visit www.brianandersonwriter.com for free books.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
April 9, 2025
Meh. Might like it better if I understood why people even like dogs.
September 15, 2024
Very cute-a bit of a cross between Snoopy and the hyper-imaginative exploits of Calvin and Hobbes. A bit more intensely illustrated than Schulz ever needed(!) to do with Snoopy’s inner alter egos, but still cute. Anyone with a dog and a new baby will be sticking some of these panels on their fridge.
Starts out as short comic strips but morphs into a chapter book that middle schoolers who are fans of Wimpy Kid and Big Nate-type books would probably enjoy. But I liked it too - diaper jokes are fun for all ages! 😂
Starts out as short comic strips but morphs into a chapter book that middle schoolers who are fans of Wimpy Kid and Big Nate-type books would probably enjoy. But I liked it too - diaper jokes are fun for all ages! 😂
June 19, 2024
Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!
This book is a graphic novel that follows an adorable dog and the changes that the family faces when a new baby comes home.
This one was a lot of fun and a cute read! I thought the illustrations were fun and the story was interesting! I think a lot of kids will enjoy this graphic novel.
This book is a graphic novel that follows an adorable dog and the changes that the family faces when a new baby comes home.
This one was a lot of fun and a cute read! I thought the illustrations were fun and the story was interesting! I think a lot of kids will enjoy this graphic novel.
October 21, 2024
This is such an adorable book about a dog from the dog's point of view where the family brings home their new baby and the dog at first does not like the baby. But the two become good friends and go on tons of adventures. Super cute and fun, alot of cute art and would be a great book for young kids.
August 26, 2024
Copy provided by the publisher
Sophie is a chocolate Labrador retriever who has a fantastic life with her humans... until baby Doug appears. He's smelly and takes a lot of attention away from her, which she does NOT appreciate. Still, Sophie ends up spending a lot of time with the tot, who is often in sitting up in a baby walker, right at Sophie's eye level. This leades to Calvin and Hobbes style fantasy adventures. Sophie styles herself as Indiana Bones, and has an adventure with the Temple of the Lost Cookie. Doug gets bonus points for being willing to share. There's a monster until the bed as the two "siblings" are snuggled in the crib, but of course the monster is misunderstood. He doesn't want to eat them; he's just there for the peanut butter. There is an adventure in the monster's world as well. Two rescue cats, Equinox and Chewy, are added to the family, and they are fashioned as evil felines who secretly (or not so secretly) want to take over the world. They have a hidden lair, a time travel machine, and are a big concern to Sophie. This doesn't stop Sophie from having flights of fantasy where she reimagines Star Wars (Commander Doug vs. the Labradorian), Yellowstone (Labstone, where they fight off the Binky Bandit Gang), and Batman (as the Canine Crusader and Cat Boy). Sophie also teaches Doug to get his own way by being adorable, but Doug goes supernova cute with his efforts, and the two are sucked into a cutesy cartoon world where Doug has to be convinced there is no percentage in being Lord Dimple Cheeks.
These books are compilations of Anderson's web comic, Dog Eat Doug, and based loosely on his own life with a small child and multiple pets. Like Schade and Buller's Scarlett: Star on the Run, McDonnell's Mutts books, or Dunn's Breaking Cat News, Sophie introduces us to intrepid animal characters (as well as an infant and then toddler who communicates solely through saying "Bak!") who have the kind of adventures we all imagine our pets have when our backs are turned. I, for one, am glad to see that my theory that cats are evil and are planning world domination was upheld by Equinox and Chewy's antics!
While I haven't taken a deep dive into the web comic on which this is based, I imagine that the episodes in the compilations are mostly based on the daily comics, but given chapter headings that tie together a series of strips on particular topics. This works well, and fans of Lincoln Peirce's Big Nate (who says this strip is "the perfect mis of heart, humor, and hilarity) will be glad to pick these up.
I'm never a huge fan of drawings where the characters don't have eyeballs, so I was a bit put off by the style of eyes, but there's always something about cartoon style drawings that distract me; at least the noses were perfectly fine, and the humans are rendered ala Peanuts; only seen off panel or from the waist down.
Middle school students today have a much different relationship with comics than I did. They don't read newspapers, so don't get a daily dose of dozens of favorite characters. They are more likely to pick up a collection of strips and immerse themselves in the world. As someone who read Funky Winkerbean every day for nearly fifty years, it makes me sad, but that's the way the world works. My students will pick up Sophie and be enthralled by her fantastical adventures with Doug.
Sophie is a chocolate Labrador retriever who has a fantastic life with her humans... until baby Doug appears. He's smelly and takes a lot of attention away from her, which she does NOT appreciate. Still, Sophie ends up spending a lot of time with the tot, who is often in sitting up in a baby walker, right at Sophie's eye level. This leades to Calvin and Hobbes style fantasy adventures. Sophie styles herself as Indiana Bones, and has an adventure with the Temple of the Lost Cookie. Doug gets bonus points for being willing to share. There's a monster until the bed as the two "siblings" are snuggled in the crib, but of course the monster is misunderstood. He doesn't want to eat them; he's just there for the peanut butter. There is an adventure in the monster's world as well. Two rescue cats, Equinox and Chewy, are added to the family, and they are fashioned as evil felines who secretly (or not so secretly) want to take over the world. They have a hidden lair, a time travel machine, and are a big concern to Sophie. This doesn't stop Sophie from having flights of fantasy where she reimagines Star Wars (Commander Doug vs. the Labradorian), Yellowstone (Labstone, where they fight off the Binky Bandit Gang), and Batman (as the Canine Crusader and Cat Boy). Sophie also teaches Doug to get his own way by being adorable, but Doug goes supernova cute with his efforts, and the two are sucked into a cutesy cartoon world where Doug has to be convinced there is no percentage in being Lord Dimple Cheeks.
These books are compilations of Anderson's web comic, Dog Eat Doug, and based loosely on his own life with a small child and multiple pets. Like Schade and Buller's Scarlett: Star on the Run, McDonnell's Mutts books, or Dunn's Breaking Cat News, Sophie introduces us to intrepid animal characters (as well as an infant and then toddler who communicates solely through saying "Bak!") who have the kind of adventures we all imagine our pets have when our backs are turned. I, for one, am glad to see that my theory that cats are evil and are planning world domination was upheld by Equinox and Chewy's antics!
While I haven't taken a deep dive into the web comic on which this is based, I imagine that the episodes in the compilations are mostly based on the daily comics, but given chapter headings that tie together a series of strips on particular topics. This works well, and fans of Lincoln Peirce's Big Nate (who says this strip is "the perfect mis of heart, humor, and hilarity) will be glad to pick these up.
I'm never a huge fan of drawings where the characters don't have eyeballs, so I was a bit put off by the style of eyes, but there's always something about cartoon style drawings that distract me; at least the noses were perfectly fine, and the humans are rendered ala Peanuts; only seen off panel or from the waist down.
Middle school students today have a much different relationship with comics than I did. They don't read newspapers, so don't get a daily dose of dozens of favorite characters. They are more likely to pick up a collection of strips and immerse themselves in the world. As someone who read Funky Winkerbean every day for nearly fifty years, it makes me sad, but that's the way the world works. My students will pick up Sophie and be enthralled by her fantastical adventures with Doug.
October 3, 2024
SOPHIE: JURASSIC BARK is a fun graphic novel about change and imagination. Sophie the dog has been an only child, but everything changes when her parents bring home her new brother, the baby Doug. Sophie is instantly suspicious and has some feuds with Doug that play out in their imagination, though she eventually realizes that Doug is a great addition to their home.
What I loved: This is quite an imaginative graphic novel that shows Sophie and/or Doug using their ideas to create unique stories reminiscent of others, such as Jurassic Park, the old west, Indiana Jones, and more. Other animals also get in on the fun and add a lot of humor to the story. As a graphic novel, the story is primarily told through images and dialogue, and this works super-well here. Even though Doug pretty much only says "bak," Sophie helps to translate as needed and the images convey the tone and emotions of these babbles. The text is easy to follow, and the colorful illustrations are fantastically well done with plenty of detail and expressive characters.
Children will get a kick out of these adventures (or misadventures as the case may be), and also learn that sometimes change and new friends can be for the best. Each chapter is its own sort of story, and they are all really fun. Some of the references (Indiana Jones) may go over children's heads, but they still make for plenty of silliness and charm.
Final verdict: SOPHIE: JURASSIC BARK is a charming graphic novel about change and imagination that works well for the middle grade audience. We're excited to read more!
Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
What I loved: This is quite an imaginative graphic novel that shows Sophie and/or Doug using their ideas to create unique stories reminiscent of others, such as Jurassic Park, the old west, Indiana Jones, and more. Other animals also get in on the fun and add a lot of humor to the story. As a graphic novel, the story is primarily told through images and dialogue, and this works super-well here. Even though Doug pretty much only says "bak," Sophie helps to translate as needed and the images convey the tone and emotions of these babbles. The text is easy to follow, and the colorful illustrations are fantastically well done with plenty of detail and expressive characters.
Children will get a kick out of these adventures (or misadventures as the case may be), and also learn that sometimes change and new friends can be for the best. Each chapter is its own sort of story, and they are all really fun. Some of the references (Indiana Jones) may go over children's heads, but they still make for plenty of silliness and charm.
Final verdict: SOPHIE: JURASSIC BARK is a charming graphic novel about change and imagination that works well for the middle grade audience. We're excited to read more!
Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
December 15, 2024
SOPHIE: JURASSIC BARK is the first installment in a graphic novel series featuring Sophie, a chocolate lab who is used to being the center of her parents’ universe. She finds herself having to adjust to not only having a slobbery, sloppy baby brother, but the arrival of a pair of devious cats who she is convinced are scheming to take over the world. As she figures out how to make her place in this new world order, Sophie imagines herself and baby Doug in a series of fantastical adventures. Each adventure plays out in its own chapter and has a different theme that is often a take on a well-loved tale like Jurassic Park, Star Wars, and Indiana Jones. While young readers may not get all the references, they’ll be entertained by Sophie’s vivid imagination and her reflections on life through the eyes of a dog. A playful take on dealing with change that will delight animal and adventure fans.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing an eARC of the book with me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing an eARC of the book with me.
October 30, 2024
Sophie Frankenstein's Hound & Sophie Jurassic Bark are hilarious, fun, engaging, fast-paced, fantastic, creative, and unique reads! This graphic novel series brings the humor and the heart! I honestly could never predict where the story would go and what would happen next. These books are creativity at their finest. Superheros, the wild west, dinosaurs, mid evil times, space, crazy science experiments and so much more......it may not sound like it all flows together, but somehow these books blend this bundle of fun perfectly. Sophie is a lovable character and her perspective is so fun! Her personal life is a bit crazy with the arrival of a new human baby and two power-hungry cats. This book is truly one of the dreamers and animal lovers. Plus, they are already a pre-existing comic strip if you can't get enough and want to dive in more until the next release! I love these books!
December 13, 2024
This is a cute early chapter type of graphic novel, for the elementary school set. It tells the story of a chocolate lab who has a strong imagination. Think Calvin and Hobbs, but with a dog and a newborn. The dog imagines all sorts of adventures, and Doug, the baby, goes on them with him. And do they really happen? Like Calvin and Hobbs, it is hard to say.
The chapters are short, and the adventures are fun. Kids will probably enjoy reading the stories within. And this is just the start. There is a second graphic novel to follow this one.
I found some of the stories extra silly, which is the whole point. Talking squirrels. Check. Evil cats, check too. Clueless adults, check and check again.
This book came out back on October, but I only just got around to reading it. 🙂
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
The chapters are short, and the adventures are fun. Kids will probably enjoy reading the stories within. And this is just the start. There is a second graphic novel to follow this one.
I found some of the stories extra silly, which is the whole point. Talking squirrels. Check. Evil cats, check too. Clueless adults, check and check again.
This book came out back on October, but I only just got around to reading it. 🙂
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
January 23, 2025
Sophie, the chocolate lab, is alarmed when her owners come home with their new baby, Doug. With imagination and humor, Sophie adapts to life with a new baby first by claiming Doug as her enemy but slowly coming to realize that Doug might be her new best friend and sidekick. The art and stories often take inspiration from pulp culture such as Indiana Jones for the chapter titled “The Temple of the Lost Cookie.” Side characters such as the spider, the time traveling cats, and the squirrels add a lot of fun side plots. While the cultural references might be over the heads of young readers they will still enjoy this fast paced and action packed first installation in a new graphic novel series based on a popular webcomic. Optional purchase for any library serving children in grades 2nd through 6th.
October 29, 2024
A comic book that, if I'm honest, I almost preferred when it was doing the old "babies are weird" shtick. Here that sentiment comes from a dog who has an imaginary life as a dinosaur, hence the cover art, but for later chapters he becomes Indiana Jones, or even Boba Fett, and the pages aren't self-contained one-shots showing the mutt's jealousy and annoyance at the humans' new priority, but longer-form dramas. Don't get me wrong, I didn't really adore either way round – but the fact the one-shots seemed superior to the bitty, more imaginative, genre-mashing fantasias of the dog Sophie kind of shows they must have had a pretty decent bit of quality about them. They just weren't really for me, due to subject.
February 3, 2025
Sophie, the chocolate lab, is alarmed when her owners come home with their new baby, Doug. With imagination and humor, Sophie adapts to life with a new baby first by claiming Doug as her enemy but slowly coming to realize that Doug might be her new best friend and sidekick.
The art and stories often take inspiration from pulp culture such as Indiana Jones for the chapter titled “The Temple of the Lost Cookie.” Side characters such as the spider, the time traveling cats, and the squirrels add a lot of fun side plots.
While the cultural references might be over the heads of young readers they will still enjoy this fast paced and action packed first installation in a new graphic novel series based on a popular webcomic.
Optional purchase for any library serving children in grades 2nd through 6th.
M.S.
Children's Librarian
The art and stories often take inspiration from pulp culture such as Indiana Jones for the chapter titled “The Temple of the Lost Cookie.” Side characters such as the spider, the time traveling cats, and the squirrels add a lot of fun side plots.
While the cultural references might be over the heads of young readers they will still enjoy this fast paced and action packed first installation in a new graphic novel series based on a popular webcomic.
Optional purchase for any library serving children in grades 2nd through 6th.
M.S.
Children's Librarian
March 18, 2025
Sophie the 🐶 pup is used to being the queen of the house. When her owners bring home a new baby, Doug, 👶🏼 she is less than thrilled to share the attention. Although Doug can only say one word, Sophie eventually allies with him against the monsters 👾 in the closet. The two go on many adventures that Sophie conjures up in her imagination. From dinosaurs, the old west, treasure hunters, pirates, monsters, superheroes- This book has it all! Towards the end you’ll meet some new additions to the family: 2 troublesome cats named Chewy and Equinox.
My son adored both of these graphic novels. I imagine any child who loves animals and has a sense of adventure or imagination would love them too. There’s so much going on that I’m sure there’s at least a little something for everyone.
My son adored both of these graphic novels. I imagine any child who loves animals and has a sense of adventure or imagination would love them too. There’s so much going on that I’m sure there’s at least a little something for everyone.
June 9, 2024
Sophie: Jurassic Bark is an incredibly cute graphic novel about a dog and all of her feelings about the new baby in the family. Sophie, the dog, imagines epic adventures like the cover where she is "Labrasaurus" lol!
I thought this one was a blast! It sometimes read like a book of comic strips, instead of a graphic novel, but that's not a complaint. It was a super fast & FUNNY read. I loved the art style & the puppy's wild adventures in their imagination. There was an Indiana Jones spoof that particularly captured my heart.
Thanks to NetGalley, Brian Anderson, and Marble Press for the chance to read & review!
I thought this one was a blast! It sometimes read like a book of comic strips, instead of a graphic novel, but that's not a complaint. It was a super fast & FUNNY read. I loved the art style & the puppy's wild adventures in their imagination. There was an Indiana Jones spoof that particularly captured my heart.
Thanks to NetGalley, Brian Anderson, and Marble Press for the chance to read & review!
August 14, 2025
3.5 stars for this comic-style graphic novel for ages 8-12. This is about a dog named Sophie and a baby named Doug. I can see that it's taken from a comic, because many of the pages have a 'gag' at the end of each spread, but part of a chapter. Each chapter is a different romp of imaginative play through dinosaurs, pirates, etc. You often forget it's pretend until the end of the chapter when you see them in "real life". The author shows a healthy respect for this age group's vocabulary, and doesn't hold back on using big words and it's full of humor--both potty humor and more sophisticated. Fun!
November 15, 2025
2 stars (It was okay)
So I'm biased already because I'm not a dog fan. But I did like the inclusion of the cats. They made me laugh. The thing I didn't like is that I was immediately able to tell that this was one of those cases where a syndicated comic gets bound together to make a "book." There are lots of little vignettes which leads to a overall choppy story. My other reason for not really liking this is that I'm reading it for consideration for a grade 3-5 graphic novel award but I feel like a lot of the jokes would not be understood by this age group. The jokes aren't inappropriate, they are just referencing things that adults know about and not kids.
So I'm biased already because I'm not a dog fan. But I did like the inclusion of the cats. They made me laugh. The thing I didn't like is that I was immediately able to tell that this was one of those cases where a syndicated comic gets bound together to make a "book." There are lots of little vignettes which leads to a overall choppy story. My other reason for not really liking this is that I'm reading it for consideration for a grade 3-5 graphic novel award but I feel like a lot of the jokes would not be understood by this age group. The jokes aren't inappropriate, they are just referencing things that adults know about and not kids.
November 20, 2024
I love the Dog Eat Doug comic strips. I've read the collected volumes. I even followed on webtoons.So when I found out they were now a graphic novel I had to check it out.
Not only is the graphic novel in beautiful color, it's more than just a rehash of the classic comic strips.
Jurassic Bark is a full graphic novel and details the problems of a puppy whose world is invaded by a bald drive only baby. And cats. Really weird cats.
An adorable first novel in what I'm sure will be a humourous and sweet series.
Not only is the graphic novel in beautiful color, it's more than just a rehash of the classic comic strips.
Jurassic Bark is a full graphic novel and details the problems of a puppy whose world is invaded by a bald drive only baby. And cats. Really weird cats.
An adorable first novel in what I'm sure will be a humourous and sweet series.
September 7, 2024
This is an adorable graphic novel about Sophie, a young chocolate lab, and Doug, her new human brother. Sophie worries that Doug is here to replace her and through many antics develop an agreement and a bond. Then, two cats show up, and it's only going to become more chaotic in the next book. A very funny and colorful book and I'm excited for them to come out. Great book for elementary kids.
Copy provided by NetGalley and the publisher.
Copy provided by NetGalley and the publisher.
February 17, 2025
Sophie: Jurassic Bark is such a cute kid’s graphic novel! Sophie, the chocolate Labrador, takes the baby Doug on adventures in her imagination. It reminded me of the Wishbone TV show from when I was a kid. I laughed out loud a few times while reading this one. I think kids and their parents will love this book!
Sophie: Jurassic Park is a great kid’s graphic novel!
Thank you Marble Press for providing a digital copy of this book!
Sophie: Jurassic Park is a great kid’s graphic novel!
Thank you Marble Press for providing a digital copy of this book!
December 9, 2024
This was a very fun graphic novel for kids about a puppy named Sophie and adventures with a new baby in the house. Whimsical, imaginative, fantastic art. This reminded me of Calvin and Hobbs and the art style is so fun. Will absolutely be looking for more of Sophie’s stories! Thank you NetGalley for the wonderful read.
February 4, 2025
The story was entertaining, but I’m not sure who the audience is for it - the vocabulary and cultural references vs the story line and visuals make it hard to decide where it belongs in a school library.
March 23, 2025
Laugh out loud funny!
May 5, 2025
Hee hee, Sophie is the best.
May 22, 2025
Sophie’s flights of imagination are charming. I don’t love the artwork but the humour more than compensates.
July 17, 2025
A fun little comic romp.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews