Please, Puppy, Please

by Spike Lee, Tonya Lewis Lee, Kadir Nelson (Illustrator)

Away from the gate,

puppy puppy, please, puppy.

Oh wait, puppy, wait,

please, please, please,

please....

In page after page of tail-wagging fun, Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Spike Lee and his wife, Beacon Award-winning producer Tonya Lewis Lee, take a close-up look at what happens when a couple of high-energy toddlers meet their match in an adventurous pup who has no plans of letting up.

Irresistible illustrations by Coretta Scott King Award winner Kadir Nelson unleash countless memorable moments of toddlerhood, and puppyhood, which families with four-legged friends will enjoy over and over again.

A Children's Book-of-the-Month

Club Main Selection

A Black Expressions Book Club

Featured Selection

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Dogs, Childrens, Storytime, African American, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 18, 2005

About the author

Shelton Jackson Lee, better known as Spike Lee, is an Emmy Award - winning, and Academy Award - nominated American film director, producer, writer, and actor noted for his films dealing with controversial social and political issues. He also teaches film at New York University and Columbia University. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983.

Reviews

[Stephanie Calhoun · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has beautiful illustrations and would be a wonderful book to teach students about different types of camera angles. It is a simple book that most young children could read independently or follow along while an adult reads.

[Alice Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous drawings!

[Allison]

This book was simple and will allow children to focus on the fantastic illustrations to get more information than from the text. The text uses repeating words that children can pick up on quickly. This book also encourages differing reading voices (calling, begging, surprise).

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE Please, Baby, Please. This one is also good, but not as amazing as that. Super cute, though, with fun repetition and amusing pictures.

[Kelly Wickham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has wonderful lifelike pictures which endear you to the children and the puppy. This great book has minimal text which helps a child learn to read and feel proficient. It's about the lovely friendship that only exists between small children and a puppy and the passion and intense emotions that the children feel while interacting with Puppy. Marcos enjoyed this book and his voice expressed the emotions of the children as he read it.

[Melissa Barbier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so cute! Two young siblings take care of a puppy and the puppy does what puppies do best - get into trouble, run away, roll in mud, and look super cute. The illustrations are absolutely amazing. Kadir Nelson does an out of this world job yet again with illustrations that come to life. Each page makes the reader want to play with the two energetic children and the adorable puppy. The words are written on the page in a very poetic way that makes the reader hear how the words should be spoken out loud based on the size of the text for each word. The way that it is written, there is a lot of repetition with "puppy, puppy, puppy, please," that turns this book into a sing-songy poem. It is very simplistic but I think it would be great for young readers because of the illustrations and great for older readers if discussing poetry elements.

[Carly Gates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun story! I loved the illustrations the most! We read this in a reader's theater which made it even more animated. I can relate to the plot, because I've probably sounded like this on many occasions talking to my dogs!

[Jazmin Palma]

I would use this book to teach children how to care for pets and that sometimes it is hard work. If there are children in my classroom that have dogs, I would ask them to share how their dogs are and how they behave. Then we can create a chart comparing the book to their own experiences with dogs.

[Yejide · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book teaches about repetition. It teaches children that animals need to be cared for and loved just like them. The illustrations in the book are also amazing.

[Jennifer Cleary]

Please, Puppy, Please by Spike Lee & Tonya Lewis Lee was an instant hit in our house. We checked it out of the library and then we read it 37,862 times a day until I snuck it out of the house and slipped it into the book return drop, hoping it wouldn't be missed. And then I added it to our books to own wishlist. Months passed and out of all the books on that pending wishlist, I chose this one to get wrapped and put under the Christmas tree.
On Christmas morning, I waited in anticipation, the paper came off and... nothing. It was like Cordelia had never seen it before. I panicked. Did I choose the WRONG BOOK?!?!?

Nope - just a case of Christmas overwhelm. Two days later she was asking for it over and over and bringing it to bed with her.

So what's it all about? A day of adventure between two kids and their puppy, where every part ends in a plea of "please, puppy, please!" Cordelia thinks it's hilarious. It's super silly and shows all the fun (and trouble) that a puppy can bring. It also frames some of the responsibilities of taking care of a puppy (like giving it a bath after it rolls in the mud) in an exciting way. Plus, Kadir Nelson's illustrations are super adorable. I also love that this book is #ownvoices for both author and illustrator. I'm so glad this is on our bookshelf permanently (and it was in the first round to get returned after I cleared the shelves.)

More book reviews on Instagram @loudandcleary

[Kristen LeBlanc · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Please, Puppy, Please" is a fictional children's picture book written by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee. "Please, Puppy, Please" takes the reader on a journey as a puppy, and its little humans, learn from one another. The story portrays siblings enjoying their new puppy as they take care of it and follow it as it escapes the yard. Having a childhood pet is a fairly relatable topic for most young children, and the writers use repetition fairly well, also.

"Please, Puppy, Please" emphasizes the responsibility and happiness that comes with having a pet. Kadir Nelson illustrates the little puppy's adventures creatively in oil paintings, with light used to bring attention to the children, the puppy, its ball, etc. Nelson breathes life into "Please, Puppy, Please" through illustrating Spike, and Tonya, Lee's book, presenting the story in a lifelike setting. Doing the illustrations in this manner helps a reader picture themselves in the book even if they do not, or have not, owned a pet before. Action filled, beautifully conveyed, and a story that any child will enjoy reading, makes "Please, Puppy, Please" an excellent choice for a class read aloud or a book a child could read on their own without much trouble.

[O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please, Puppy, Please by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee tells the story of two young children and their rambunctious little puppy. The puppy makes a mess, he doesn't listen, and the children chase after him when he sneaks away. It's a nice easy going story that is full of repetition and you'll have your students saying "Please, puppy, please" in voices to match the pleading and begging. This book is simple enough to allow students to comprehend and understand what is happening through its beautifully drawn illustrations. Kadir Nelson doesn't disappoint with his drawings! In the elementary classroom, this book can be used to talk about pets and discuss how we can take care of pets. Students can draw a picture of a pet they would want to have or currently have and dictate or write a story about their pet. Overall, this is a great book to have for a quick read aloud and activity - perfect for when you are out and have a guest teacher too!

[Brandi Balzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Please, Puppy, Please is about to siblings who have a puppy and the struggles of taking care of it. Both siblings love the puppy but always find him getting into trouble no matter how well they take care of and look after him. This book is written a poetic style with large text that is great for new readers. The images are simple yet bright and entertaining to look at.
I gave this book a three. It is an entertaining and simplistic read for new readers. It would also serve as a great book to teach older readers about poetry and rhyming. The concepts of this book would serve to teach kids about the care and keeping of a pet. I only gave it a three because compared to the other books I have rated I don't feel the content has the same importance and effect that the others do.

[Paul Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please Puppy Please is a book about 2 kids who have a puppy that gets in a lot of trouble. The puppy runs away, rolls in the mud, and terrorizes the cat. In the end the puppy begins to listen to the kids to the kids.

This book is from a African American author and illustrators. The characters are both African American and the pictures are beautifully drawn. The colors of the dog and the background of where they were well done. This is also a easy book to read and follow along with.

I would use this book in lower level or mid level classrooms. This book is also very good for culturally expanding the classroom. With African American characters, children could relate better to this book. This is book also has a puppy and every kid loves a puppy.

[Jacelyn Neuleib]

This book is definitely a wonderful choice for beginning readers because of the repeated language. Readers can read this book independently to give them confidence because of the repeated phrases of "puppy, puppy, please." In the book, the puppy wants to go outside and gets in many adventures which cause his owners to plead with him. The dog wants to go outside, gets a bath, runs into the cat, shakes his wet fur, fetches the ball, and is begged to come when he is called. This book also has really neat illustrations which have unusual perspectives. I think all young readers can identify with wanting a pet and accepting the difficulties which come with it.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting that the text is by Spike Lee! The illustrations are beautifully done by my favorite illustrator, Kadir Nelson. This is a repetitive pattern story that would be great for small children who would be able to catch onto it quickly. The pictures, though, are what really make the book. The angles and perspective capture the movement of the puppy and the kids who are trying to control him.

[Sami Pratt]

I read this book as a read aloud in my college literature class! This book incorporates different angles and views on what it is like to be in charge of a puppy. Two kids meet their match with an action filled pup who has no plans of letting up or listening. They try to play fetch, they try to give to give pup a bath.. who then runs through the mud. Great images on every page. Bright colors to match the high energy mood.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Movie-making legend Spike Lee and his wife, producer Tonya Lewis Lee, bring us on a whimsical journey.

Take two high-energy toddlers and a high-powered puppy. Let them play together and find out which one gets tired first. (Or admits to feeling tired.)

Rhymes and a lively refrain bring a wonderful pace to the story. While illustrator Kadir Nelson supplies the cutest pictures imaginable.

In toddler terms, it's a FIVE STAR love story. A keeper!

[Grant Gallagher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two children raise a puppy and experience the playfulness, cuteness, and even the challenges of raising a young dog. By the end, the children fall in love with dog more and want the dog to be theirs forever. I enjoyed the fun plot and thought the repetition was a nice touch so young readers could understand.

[Emma Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please, Puppy, Please is an excellent story that can be used to help students gather more information about the story rather than just from the words. The illustrations are gorgeous and incredibly detailed. This is not an overly complex story but it allows for a great detail of questioning and hunting for clues by the student.

[Taylor Armey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like how this book has many repetitive words. This makes it fun for kids to read along. I love how it shows these two kids getting a puppy and having to take care of one. It shows the struggles of having a puppy and the good times. This book is a great comparison to real-life because having a puppy is just like this book.

[Shawn L’s Book Notes & Quotes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had no idea that Spike Lee did children's books! This book was absolutely beautifully illustrated, but I found the text to be lacking. Perhaps the repetitive use of the words "please" and "puppy" would be wonderful for a child under one year old.

[Jane Maple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Various activities with two kids, a cat and an energetic puppy. Usually the puppy misbehaves despite the kids pleads of "please" but at the end when they ask him to fetch a ball and come when they call, he obeys and they decide he is doing fine. Cute book

[Danielle Robertson Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The repeating variations and different combinations of the words "please" and "puppy" get a little annoying but these pictures are beyond adorable! Also it's nice to read a story where the main characters aren't white.

[Aryonna Dorsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and so did my nieces when I read it to them. We all loved the story, pictures... Everything about Please, Puppy, Please.I will definitely be reading it over and over again to them!!.

[Lupe · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many things to say about this book: it's multicultural, it has repetitive text, the last few pages have non-fiction information about dogs and there is even a diagram for children to identify the parts of a dog. The illustrations are fun and drawn from a child's level.

[Maggie Mattmiller · Rating 2 out of 5]

How do you rate a book when the words do nothing for you but the illustrations deserve 5 stars?!

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrations.

[Jenna Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrations...and all the 'pleases' are making my toddler actually take an interest in the word!

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations