One Hundred Bones

by Yuval Zommer

Scruff the dog is a stray, who just loves to dig. It doesn't make him the most popular dog in the neighbourhood. But when he sniffs out a pile of old bones, he gets all the neighbourhood dogs to help him. They uncover not one, not two, not three... but 100 bones and make the most exciting dinosaur discovery of all time! Scruff's find wins him new friends and a new home. A heart-warming story about an underdog who comes out on top.

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

Kindle Edition

First published April 12, 2016

About the author

Yuval Zommer graduated from London’s Royal College of Art and has worked as creative director for many of the U.K.’s top advertising agencies. This is his debut picture book, inspired by the animals he came across on a trip to the zoo.

Reviews

[Jj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scruffy dogs AND Paleontology? YES! It is a winning combination.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clever story and nice pictures.

[Eliot Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scruff, the homeless dog, enlists his doggy friends to help him dig up and deliver ALL the bones he discovered to the Natural History Museum. Bonus: Scruff finds a home!

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet, cute, and adventurous little story will be greatly enjoyed by young dog lovers and budding paleontologists alike. Lots of fun and a happy ending.

[Margie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dog digging meets archaeology makes for a terrific combination. Somewhat older children, maybe K-2, will appreciate this picture book as much as younger ones due to the ancient bones tie-in.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pack of unruly dogs disturbs the integrity of a paleontological treasure, robbing a dinosaur of geological context.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awww… this is such a cute book, with a dog who loves to dog who finds a site with 100 ancient bones! Great for kids who love dogs, archeology, museums and friendship stories!

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of all the dogs in the community, one was Scruff - a stray with no home or human friends. He was always being chased away because of his love for digging. One day he smelled something wonderful to his doggy nose, and convinced the other dogs around to help him dig a very deep hole, in which he found one hundred bones! Those bones proved to be a very important find and changed his life. Cute story and great illustrations.

[Tapani Aulu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Koira löytää kaikkien aikojen luukasan, tosin ei saa sitä vaan se viedään museoon.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scruff is a stray dog with a passion for digging, which doesn’t endear him to other dogs and their owners—though with names like Mrs. Fancypants, Mr. Fusspot, and Mrs. Hoity-Toity, that’s not surprising. Scruff isn’t too bothered by his rejection. Instead, he heads for friendlier places where he can dig to his heart’s content. And what he finds is a bone-lover’s paradise: hundreds of bones of all sizes, with some as big as trees! Scruff isn’t selfish, but when he shares his find with the other dogs, one of them realizes where he’s seen bones like that before—at the Natural History Museum. Zommer’s digital illustrations are full of amusing details, like a pack of different sized dogs with their mouths full of bones taking public transportation across town. The focus is on the dog world: all humans are portrayed form the waist down only. The comical story of dancing (or digging) to your own tune will work well as either a read aloud or for one-on-one sharing. Or, pair this with another book about a dog with a nose for dinosaur bones, Steven Kellogg’s Prehistoric Pinkerton.

*Review copy from Children's Literature Database

[Cristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scruff is like any other dog. He loves to dig. The only problem is that he digs where he is not supposed to dig. He is not allowed to dig up Mrs. Fancypants’ flowers or Mr. Fussypots yard. He tries to get his friends to help him dig, but they are not impressed and would rather be taking a walk. Scruff just wanted to dig, and dig, and dig. Scruff decides to look for a friendlier place to dig. He goes through fields, and the woods and over distant hills until he smells an awesome smell. He then begins to dig, and dig, and dig. He finds bone, after bone, after bone. He has the biggest pile of bones he has ever seen. He goes back to get his friends to help him dig. What they discover is absolutely amazing and scruff just might find his place among the other dogs. I would recommend this for any collection. The author does a great job of depicting how teamwork and friendship help to make things better and sometimes it may seem that something is harmful actually turns out to be something amazing. The pictures of the dogs are nice and I like the way the dogs are in their own bubbles when they talk to separate them from one another.

[Margaret]

It's referenced in children's nursery rhymes and songs.

Old Mother Hubbard

Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard,
To give the poor dog a bone;
When she came there,
The cupboard was bare,
And so the poor dog had none.

This Old Man

This old man, he played one,
He played knick-knack on my thumb;
With a knick-knack paddywhack,
Give the dog a bone,
This old man came rolling home.

It's verified and explained in scientific studies on canine evolution. Dogs love bones.

If there is a bone to be found, our pooch pals will find it. One Hundred Bones (Templar Books, an imprint of Candlewick Press, April 26, 2016) written and illustrated by Yuval Zommer begins with a single dog on a daily mission. He digs digging.


My full recommendation: http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...

[Josianne Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I live in Egypt. There are lots of stray dogs. Yesterday, I went to a new (to me) dog park with our newly arrived dog, Link. There were several other dogs and owners at the park. A couple of local strays approached, wanting to be part of the doggie fun, and most of the other owners left. I felt sorry for the strays but I didn't want my dog to get their fleas so although we stayed, we kept our distance.

So today, I'm reading this book about Scruff, the stray who wanted his friends with humans to dig with him, and I can't help feeling a little guilt. He just wants to dig and play! Lucky him, he finds a dinosaur and eventually a home.

The illustrations are charming and the story is sweet and fun. There's one spread where Scruff is given a medal by a woman with a handbag and crown-stamped buttons. Her corgi dogs surround Scruff. Royal attention for Scruff!

[Jana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute picture book with a great story about friendship, teamwork, and discovery. Scruff, the dog is different than his friends. He did not have a "human friend", so he didn't wear a collar, he wasn't brushed, and he spent many hours digging in dirt. One day when he was digging, he made an amazing discovery. But it took help from his friends and a professor at the museum to excavate these bones and put them together. The digital illustrations are funny and adorable. Young readers and dog lovers will get a kick out of this book.

[Nancy Kotkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A scruffy, homeless dog who loves to dig unearths a pile of dinosaur bones. He then does a most un-dog-like thing and offers to share with the other dogs, resulting in a happy ending for Scruff.

Interesting to note: In the beginning of the book, all the different shoes on the humans match the personalities of the dogs they walk/own. I also love the illustrations on the page spread where Scruff burrows for the bones.

I know this would have been a favorite picture book of mine when I was a kid, right up there with Harry the Dirty Dog and No Roses for Harry. Recommend for dog lovers.

[Evan Childress · Rating 3 out of 5]

Digging is what Scrugg the Dog does best. Unfortunately, not everyone is a fan of Scruff digging up their flowers and lawns and while looking for a friendly digging spot, Scruff makes a discovery that is even good enough to impress the other dogs. He discovers some very important bones. Read and find out what they belong to!
Dinosaur and dog lovers alike will enjoy this short little adventure.

[Roben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some dogs have owners; some don't, and other dogs like to dig and dig and dig. This digging dog uncovers a large cache of bones and, with the help of his friends, delivers a sample to the Natural History Museum. It turns out to be an exceptional discovery - his digging has been rewarded! In the process, he gains an owner who appreciates and encourages his digging.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story with a little bit of everything! An outcast dog finds friends and a new home when he uncovers a huge paleantological discovery.

[Kelly]

Also could use for dinosaurs

[Scott Fillner · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son enjoyed counting bones in this story. Playful language and a warm end to a fun story.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic - I cannot wait to share this at the annual "Family Reading Night."

[Casandria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stray dog makes a huge discovery. Fun read!

[Suzirinia]

preschool, primary, dogs, bones, archeology, math, numbers

[Jason]

Man, I wish I'd been there when all those dogs rode the subway!! I WONDER HOW THEY BOUGHT TICKETS #picturebooklogic

[Laretta]

uses troupes from other stories/seems familiar and less "original" because of it. story isn't original either.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute and fun!

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny book about a canine paleontologist. Great pictures too.

[Sherrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scruff a happy stray who loves to dig makes an amazing discovery that changes his life for the better. Cute story with colorful illustrations.

[Phyl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute illustrations! Love the dogs!

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fanciful tale about a tenacious dog who loves to dig and unearths an archaeological treasure. Good for dinosaur and dog lovers.