Eddie the Dog Holder

Eddie Wilson #10

by Carolyn Haywood

The summer Eddie and his friend start a dog portrait business, he holds the subject and she paints the portrait, often with disastrous results.

Genres: Dogs, Fiction, Childrens, Animals, Juvenile, Chapter Books

Hardcover

First published June 1, 1966

About the author

Carolyn Haywood was an American writer and illustrator from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She wrote 47 children's books, most notably the series under the "Eddie" and "Betsy" titles.

Reviews

[Luisa Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun story with Eddie and Annie Pat. This time it’s a dog painting/dog holding business they try over the summer.

This is a great book to add to your early readers collection.

Ages: 4 - 9
Reading Level: 1st - 3rd grades

Content Considerations: there are some light squabbles with everything righted/resolved in the end.

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[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much fun. An idealistic old-fashioned summer of adventures and misadventures.

But did dogcatchers really used to be so aggressive, scooping runaways up right under the arms of children?

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of those old children's books that has been in my wife's family for a long time. It was a Christmas present to her brother in 1975, and here it is still on our library shelf fifty years later. Alas, it is not one of those books that is constantly re-read because it is so beloved, it is simply still around because it lucked into being possessed by book hoarders.

It was published in 1966 but feels like it is a media tie-in for a generic 1950s family sitcom. Eddie Wilson wanders his suburban neighborhood having gentle little adventures with his friends that are regularly punctuated with what are supposed to be comic developments.

Hoping to raise some cash over the summer, he goes into business with Annie Pat Wallace. She will create portraits of people's dogs and cut him in for a share of the profits if he drums up customers and holds the dogs still while she paints. Hijinks ensue as the dogs get loose, get dirty, and all come out looking orange in the final product. And then a young fellow with a camera shows up to open a rival service.

Apparently, this was popular for a while back in the 1960s. This particular book is the tenth in a series of sixteen about Eddie and his friends. And I suppose if you grew up watching Leave It to Beaver this would feel pretty comfortable.

Too bland for me.


FOR REFERENCE:

Contents: Chapter 1. Aunt Mabel's Cocker Spaniel -- Chapter 2. Eddie Goes to a Party -- Chapter 3. Painting Buster -- Chapter 4. Now It's a German Shepherd -- Chapter 5. Boodles' Birthday Present -- Chapter 6. A Yankee-Doodle Dog -- Chapter 7. Valuable Property -- Chapter 8. An Unexpected Caller -- Chapter 9. Back to School

[Katt Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book a million years ago back when I was 10 and so re-reading it now it's hard to be impartial. I'm taken back to a very happy time and place when I read this, so the good feelings can't help but get in the way.

Eddie and his friend Annie Pat have a summertime business: she paints portraits of dogs and he holds them. It seems reasonably fair, but this is Eddie after all, so things happen. They lose a dog, and another one actually GETS painted. The ending came up a little rushed, but overall the story was good. It's definitely a little dated, but it was fun all the same. I could imagine doing something like that when I was a kid.

Correction, I did. I made an art gallery in the hallway of our house and did pictures of everyone and then tried to charge people for them. Yeah...it's a thing.

So was this a great book? No. But it was a FUN book, and in this case that's what matters most.

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the very first book I ever checked out of a school library and I would check it out over and over!

[Sophia Barsuhn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really sweet, a little bit like the books that Beverly Cleary wrote. Funny and earnest and oddly nostalgic, maybe because I was reading my mom's copy that she's had since she was a child in the '60s. I definitely wouldn't mind reading more of Carolyn Haywood's books.

[Nathaniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The summer Eddie and his friend start a dog portrait business, he holds the subject and she paints the portrait, often with disastrous results.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The actual first book I'd ever read for enjoyment as a child. I remember the good feeling I felt from reading by my choice. I continue to enjoy reading for pleasure, thanks to this book.

[Caleb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Eddie the Dog Holder. One of his friends would paint a portrait of the dog and Eddie would hold it so it wouldn't run away. One of his friends got a camera for his birthday so he could take pictures of dogs. but Eddie said my friend is painting dogs. Why don't you take pictures of cats? And then he said ok. And then Eddie became the cat holder so that the cats wouldn't run away.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very cute! It is a good book for young readers and as well as adults. It has very cute moments...you are always wonderng what will happen next.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another adventure of Eddie. After reading Eddie's Green Thumb, my daughter (6) was very excited to hear there was another story about him. We enjoyed wondering what would happen to him next.

[Thea · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like many of my childhood favorites, this is a story about what I think of as "can-do kids," each decidedly marked by their own special interests, quirks, and talents. Eddie has a way with animals; his friend Annie Pat is a budding artist. One summer, they decide to put their talents together: Annie Pat will paint portraits of pets, and Eddie will hold the pets still so she can paint them. They're hoping to make enough money to buy German Shepherd puppies by the end of the summer. What could go wrong? Well, plenty--but fortunately, it's all good comic material. A good-hearted book set in a world of free-range childhood that will seem exotic to most kids today.