If We Were Dogs

by Sophie Blackall

Two-time Caldecott Medallist Sophie Blackall's follow-up to her bestselling If I Was a Horse explores the challenges of first friendships through imaginative play.

If we were dogs, what kind would we be?
I'd be a big dog! And you'd be a little dog.
Woof!

Join two friends as they bark and growl, woof and howl - and maybe even quack - in a romp that makes room for everybody's ideas.

Sophie Blackall unleashes an exuberant game of pretend that explores navigating friendship and celebrates boundless imagination.

PRAISE FOR SOPHIE

'Full of imagination and gentle humour . . . The delightful illustrations provide outstanding detail and invite the reader to pore over the images' CHILDREN'S BOOK COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA on If I Was a Horse

'Charming and whimsical visual surprises are found throughout the impeccably designed pages . . . An exquisite equine fantasy, this encourages imaginations to giddyup and run wild and free' BOOKLIST on If I Was a Horse

'Absolutely gorgeous and brilliant fun' READINGS on If I Was a Horse

'A tender, layered masterpiece that itself deserves to be passed along for generations' NEW YORK TIMES on Farmhouse

'Gloriously detailed . . . One of the most evocative and beautiful picture books I've had the pleasure of reading' BETTER READING on Farmhouse

'A lyrical love letter to the past . . . The illustrations feel like a patchwork quilt - with pieces of history and experience stitched together to make a beautiful and complete whole . . . Every page can be revisited over and over again' CHILDREN'S BOOK COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA on Farmhouse

'Painted with the featherlight touch that distinguishes Caldecott Medallist Blackall's work, this graceful account of a lighthouse keeper's life celebrates a lost era . . . A jewel of a creation' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY on Hello Lighthouse

'I will be surprised if a more exquisite picture book will be published this year . . . Children will be fascinated' NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW on Hello Lighthouse

Genres: Picture Books, Dogs, Animals, Childrens, Friendship, Fiction, Humor

40 pages, Hardcover

Published September 16, 2025

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I were a dog I would be a yellow lab and sleep all day like someone I know!

[Miguel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did I read this at the bookstore? yes.
Am I counting this for my book total? also yes

[Great Escape Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our Review...

You don’t have to be a dog lover to enjoy Sophia Blackall’s latest picture book. But with such adorable illustrations of dogs, you can’t help but fall a little in love with these canine characters. The award-winning creator of one our favourites, Hello Lighthouse, is back with a fun and charming story of two friends playing a game of make believe.

The dogs are imbued with such personality that you don’t even need the words to know exactly what’s going on. Even very young children will be enchanted by the expressive faces of the children as the dogs they imagine, and will delight in the images of the antics they plan. But the story has additional layers – touching on navigating friendships and celebrating creativity and imaginative play with sensitivity and a great sense of fun. This is a tender tale about being different and finding a way to express yourself.

Review by Andi @ Great Escape Books

[Nadina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute story and beautiful illustrations

[XchocolatereaderX · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun little book!

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two children are under a table. One is talking about dogs and asks the other if they were dogs what kind would they be? Without waiting for the other child to answer, the first child continues on say that they'd be a big dog and go to the dog park and do tricks. Continuing with the imagination, the first child states that the other child would be a small dog and the first dog's favorite. This goes on for awhile until the second child finally finds their voice to say they wouldn't want to be a dog in the first place. They would rather be a duck.

Cute story of allowing all friends have input during play. The inconsistent rhyming text might prove difficult for a reader to find a rhythm.

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two friends have paused their imaginative play to have a discussion under the table. We can only see their lower bodies, and that one is larger than the other – gender and skin color are up to the imagination. The garrulous larger one imagines that if they were a dog, they would be a big dog, and we see a big happy retriever like dog with a funny little cone hat on. This big dog/big child imagines that their friend is a little dog, and so over the course of the book, the big dog holds a one-sided conversation with the little dog, a very small terrier-like dog (also in a hat!), about all the fun things they’d do together. Finally, after pages and pages, the little dog/littler child speaks up and says, “I don’t want to be a dog.” And, in a spread with six panels, the little dog/littler child stands up for their animal preference.

The cheerful, smiling big dog is everyone’s idea of a happy, playful retriever, with the dramatic physical drama of panting, bowing, romping, etc. This is your exuberant, social child. The small dog is more measured and tentative, following behind – the quiet introvert, and readers will root for the little one to stand up for themself in the relationship. The joyful bounciness of the big dog is in marked contrast to the measured, quiet little one, and families can talk about the difference. Blackall’s beautiful artwork, executed in digital and manual pencil and brush, keeps the focus on the dogs, with minimal background. The endpapers are fun- the front ones are black silhouettes of dogs, plus maybe a cat. The back endpapers are black silhouettes of lots of animals, all wearing the little hats, plus a cat. This is a fun story for little ones, and the guessing game of what the animals are on the endpapers is an additional treat.

[Guylou (Two Dogs and a Book) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sophie Blackall’s 𝗜𝗙 𝗪𝗘 𝗪𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗗𝗢𝗚𝗦 is a joyful celebration of imagination, friendship, and play. Two friends embark on a lively game of pretend, imagining what kinds of dogs they would be—big, small, loud, quiet, and even a little silly. Blackall’s signature illustrations bring each canine creation to life with warmth and humor, giving every imagined dog a distinct personality that children will instantly connect with. The playful text invites young readers to bark, growl, and howl along, making this book a fun read-aloud for storytime. Yet beneath the laughter is a gentle reminder that friendship thrives when we make space for each other’s ideas. Whether it’s exploring differences or celebrating creativity, the story balances fun with heart in a way only Blackall can. This tender and exuberant tale is sure to delight children and adults alike. I can't wait to read this one to my grandson.

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A whimsical and fanciful tale of two unidentified children adopting the personal of two very different dogs.The large playful and dominating dog assumes the smaller companion is happy to follow along but there is a lovely twist in the middle that steers the story into a new direction.

Blackall's illustrations are perfect for this book and expand the text throughout. With clever use of collage on flat backgrounds to give a three dimensional perspective and an array of different techniques to show movement - different for each dog - encourages close examination of the action. The different sized paw-prints and their pathways prelude the twist - there is divergence to contemplate. The end papers add to the tale, with the shift from sillhouetted dogs at the front to a veritable menagrie at the end.

[Christie Kaaland · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Blackwell's recent signature format, the first part of If We Were Dogs uses the voice of a large golden retriever as he describes himself and activities of his rambunctious personality juxtapose to his little shy friend. The big friendly dog describes there lives, oblivious to personality, constraints, and differences of the smaller dog. Well, as soon as the other voice gets a chance to speak he explains that maybe he isn't even a dog nor does he want to be. This is a cute story with a mildly delivered message of the importance of listening.

[Ddoddmccue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got for preschoolers in my life based on recommendation by Ann Patchett on PBS Newshour Best 2025 books.

How could I go wrong with her guidance?

As frequent reader of many books for this crew, found it a delight for all ages. Given the real possibility of many repeat reads, this is vital!

Dialogue fun, well targeted for later discussion.

Artwork clever, may spur future art projects?

And my audience ( no Goodreads account yet) loved it!

Also read author’s earlier book on cats. Equally entertaining.

[Melki · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I were a dog, I guess I'd be a big ole goofy one that doesn't mind getting its feet wet, yet hates baths. Fetching would be fun, and I'd enjoy some long naps in the sun. I'd miss reading books, though. And nice cups of hot tea.

I'm probably better off as I am - a book-reading, tea-drinking, dog lover.

Thanks, Sophie, for giving me a fun fantasy, and making me appreciate my humanness just a little bit more.

LOVE the illustrations!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

While playing, a dog-loving child decides to pretend to be a big dog and their playmate will be a small dog. The big dog has great fun pretending to drink out of bowls, fetching big sticks, digging big holes, and more. But the little dog is not thrilled about being a dog. With great pictures and a heartwarming ending, this is a terrific picture book that celebrates friendship and honors differences.

"Sometimes I HAVE IDEAS TOO!"

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dog ST. Loved the images, but no surprise coming from this author. Her style is so detailed and the dog hair was so well done in this book. I like that this must be based off kids pretending o be animals and a parent trying to play along. The fact that the kid doesn't ant to be a dog is a nice twist and adds some depth to this short book with lots of dogs.

[Shanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too cute! Gorgeous illustrations in this book about two friends who imagine what it would be like if they were not humans. One suggests they would be dogs. And she imagines what that would be like. Each page is full of different playful things dogs do and all the various dog breeds. But—hold on—does her friend want to be a dog? Read and find out!

Mia’s 2nd Year of Books: Day 223

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Great illustrations and the imaginative play/bossiness were so cute and accurate, and I loved the solution. Would be great for a dog storytime (or a flow storytime talking about ducks next, or imagination in general!)

[Lauren M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sophie Blackall has written another gem!

While I am a dog lover, this book is for everybody! We get to use our imagination and learn how to navigate a tricky playtime situation!

Ducks are cool, too!

[Morgan the Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my new favorites from Sophie Blackall. The story flows really well and would work very well if it was read aloud in a story time. I think little dog lovers would like the story and I do love the funny little twist at the end.

[Aolund · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a biased cat person and so rarely do a Dog storytime, but this was a solid enough read that I want to give Dog storytime a chance. Nice pacing, sweet illustrations, and a good story about imaginative play and cooperation as well.

Themes: Dogs, Play
Age range: Toddler-Kindergarten

[CONSTANCE · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 2023 this Caldecott winner gave us “If I was a Horse” where we saw a very large horse in a tutu among other things. Now she provides more ideas for two children to consider if they were not children, but actually animals – in this case dogs. What kind of dog would they be?

[Ann Haefele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always love Sophie Blackall’s illustrations and these are no exception. Great story for animal lovers (especially dog lovers), and would be fun to use in a classroom while asking kids to write a few paragraphs on what animal they would want to be.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming story with wonderful illustrations.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Illustrations were stronger than the story line, IMO. Beautiful to read.

[Y.Poston]

sweet and playful "what if" for little children

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite page is when the little dog talks to the big dog. The big dog face/body language is so expressive, and looks just like our son's black lab!

[William Watts]

This is so me and Erica. Very cute

[Holly Mueller · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute companion to If I Were a Horse. I love Sophie Blackall books, and this is no exception. Cute twist at the end.

[Kait Thibeaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute! Great book to start the conversation with kids around sharing ideas when using our imagination!

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the cutest book in the world.

[Dylan Teut · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cat person myself, I thoroughly appreciated this book- as I do with Blackall's work regardless of the subject or animal at hand.