The Outside Dog: A Sweet Level 3 Story About Convincing Grandfather to Give a Stray Pet a Home for Kids (Ages 4-8)

by Charlotte Pomerantz, Jennifer Plecas (Illustrator)

From acclaimed author Charlotte Pomerantz comes this sweet, compassionate story with universal appeal about a little girl's longing for a pet. Grandfather never lets Marisol even pet stray dogs, but when she finds Pancho sitting outside their house in the hills of Puerto Rico, she is determined to keep him. Grandfather worries about fleas and ticks. But Marisol persuades him to feed the dog leftovers from dinner. Can she convince him to give this outside dog a home? This Level 3 I Can Read book is geared for kids who read on their own but still need a little help. Set in Puerto Rico, the story contains several Spanish vocabulary words, and a glossary of definitions and pronunciations.  

Genres: Childrens, Dogs, Young Adult, Picture Books

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Holly Ryanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute kids book

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sweet story about a Grandfather and his granddaughter, Marisol, living by the sea in Puerto Rico. Marisol wants a dog to her Grandfather's dismay and when a stray dog comes to adopt them, he relents little by little. It's a good book for beginning readers and a nice introduction to some Spanish phrases.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/...

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite books when I was a kid. I'd forgotten all about it until I found it at our local library. My son enjoyed the book.
Marisol wants a dog and even though her grandpa doesn't want one, they start to take care of a stray and the rest is history.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mother gave this book to my daughter because it's about a dog and my daughter loves dogs. And although she is only 2 years old, she loves it. I have read it to her numerous times already. It's a sweet story and the pictures really capture my daughters attention.

[Cdupree2 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked how Marisol became best friends with the dog, and that her grandfather began to start liking the dog

[Nahuatl P Vargas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muy tierno libro sobre la adopción de un perrito.

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marisol and her grandfather lived in a quaint little village in Puerto Rico. Marisol befriended a little mutt who longed for a little food and affection. Unfortunately, her grandfather disapproved because he worried about ticks and fleas. But soon he learned to love the dog as much as Marisol. The dog even saved their house from burning down!

Poor Marisol, she woke up one day and discovered that her new puppy friend disappeared. She was very worried and searched her entire village to find him. It was very touching to read about Marisol waking up each morning with the hope of her new friend’s return. She didn’t give up, and even her grandfather started to worry and searched for the dog. Would he return?

1st and 2nd graders will enjoy reading this story. Some may have a little difficulty understanding some of the Spanish words used, but most of them can be figured out from the context clues. Readers will enjoy learning about how to take care of animals and make new friends. It’s a fast read with some colorful illustrations that will also be enjoyed.

[Courtney Turpen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Outside Dog Is about a little girl named Marisol and her grandfather. Her grandfather does not like dogs, but there was something about the stray dog Pancho. Grandfather decided to let her feed and keep this one. After they have fed it and grandpa grows a little closer to the dog it ends up running away. All the neighbors think Pancho found a girlfriend. Though, a few days later Pancho shows back up and grandfather tells her that the dog will always be an outside dog. The illustrations are okay in this book. They are not very creative, but it is transitioning children from picture book to chapter books.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audience- young students, k-2nd grade. Good for those students living in a Hispanic community or learning about that topic.
Genre- Realistic fiction
Book Share Script- The story is about a dog that a family takes in and in the end the reader discovers how the dog is able to give back to the family.
discussion questions-
Who were the main characters?
Summarize the story.
What would result if the dog had not barked at the stove?
What was the most exciting part of the story?
Would you have taken care of the stray dog?
What changes would you have made to the interaction between the family and the dog?

[JustOneMoreBook.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s not often that an early reader turns the whole family to putty, but this simple story of a grandfather with the strength to bend does just that time after time. If you can put up with all the gushing and cooing we do in this review, you’ll be all set for the response of your little one!

Other books mentioned:

* Rattlebone Rock
* The Piggy in The Puddle

Listen to our chat about this book on our JustOneMoreBook.com Children's Book Podcast:
http://www.justonemorebook.com/2007/0...

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a little girl who is visiting her grandfather in Mexico. There she finds a stray dog and wants to keep him. It shows the closeness of their relationship and also gives you an idea of the community life in Puerto Rico. I didn't really like it because I dont like the idea of bringing in a stray dog.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although this book is interesting, the Spanish names and words make it difficult for beginning readers. Consider it for bilingual children, but I would not use it for other beginning readers again. Likewise, although I have had enough Spanish to stumble through it, most teachers and paras would have an even more difficult time. If the book had a pronunciation guide it would be worth considering.

[Jess Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because it is about a different culture. I think it is good for children to read and learn about different cultures. I think it was an interesting book because it is about a little girl that fell in love with a stray dog and her grandpa didn't want to keep it. He ended up falling in love with it as well and it became a family pet, but only an outside dog.

[Edward Creter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marisol is a young girl who's lonely for a pet, yet her grampa feels dogs are equated with fleas. Then a little dog comes around that changes things and shows Marisol and Grampa that being responsible for a puppy can be oodles of fun when done with love. I LOVE THIS BOOK!

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to teach this book. It's very sweet, but also takes you to another country. We don't have that kind of stray dog population here.

[Horace Mann Family Reading Challenge · Rating 5 out of 5]

A girls best friend is a mutt. E.W.

[Marta-Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book because the story is so relatable for children no matter where they live. The sprinkling of Spanish words adds a multicultural touch, but does not overpower the story.

[Shiloah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book with Lamby (4).

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book