Good Boy

by Sergio Ruzzier

A New York Times Best Children’s Book of 2019 A boy and a dog embark on an out-of-this-world adventure in this whimsical picture book from award-winning author-illustrator Sergio Ruzzier.This is the story of a boy and his dog. Or is it a dog and his boy? Either way, it’s a playful story of friendship and adventure!

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

40 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 12, 2019

About the author

Website and blog: http://www.ruzzier.com

Sergio Ruzzier was born in Milan, Italy, in 1966.

He began his career as an illustrator in 1986.

In 1995 he moved to New York City, where he’s been creating pictures and stories for national and international magazines and book publishers.

His work has been awarded by American Illustration, The Society of Illustrators, Communication Arts, and The Society of Publication Designers.
He won the Parents' Choice Gold Medal for “The Room of Wonders” and for his illustrations for “Why Mole Shouted."

He was a recipient of the 2011 Sendak Fellowship.

Reviews

[Melki]

This is a really, really GOOD BOY!







The playful illustrations, and the clever surprise ending make this one a real treat.

[L. McCoy]

SUPER FAST REVIEW:
Okay so I didn’t like the art. The art style here doesn’t work for me.
The story is kinda average for this type of book.
I will however add that it still managed to be a cute, short read that I enjoyed reading to my own dog so it works.

3/5

[Cheryl]

This review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... prompted me to reread the book. I liked it a lot more after reading what Deborah had to say. Go like her review, then read the book.

(And that's not a command, but rather an invitation, just like almost all of the words in the book.)

Love the ending.

[Nancy Kotkin]

A boy and his dog have an adventure together. The entire story is told through one-word commands and lovely watercolor illustrations (in the same vein as Two Mice). It's unclear whether the boy is giving the commands to the dog, or vice versa, which adds another really fun layer to this picture book.

[Meredith]

Lots of verbs, which could be used for a lesson.

[Deborah]

The publisher copy nails this one: “This is the story of a boy and his dog. Or is it a dog and his boy?” Either way, it made me smile. Be sure to look closely at the details in the illustrations; Sergio Ruzzier has managed to make a book, as he always does, that is sweet, beautiful, and just a little bit edgy all at the same time.

[Edward Sullivan]

A dog and his boy. A whimsical delight.

[Tasha]

This is a story of a boy and his dog. It starts simply enough with the boy issuing commands and the dog obeying. He sits, rolls over, jumps, fetches and… juggles! Then the dog makes them a meal and cleans the house. The two of them head outside where the commands become more like requests to have fun together and the pair head off on an adventure. It leads them to build a boat, find an island, build a rocket and then leave earth. They come to a lovely planet where they make new friends but soon miss home. Returning back, the two get ready for bed together and finally fall asleep side-by-side.

Ruzzier cleverly turns the relationship of owner and pet on its head in the book. He begins the book with the more traditional roles and then steadily makes their relationship one of equals and friends. By the end, the tone is entirely different from the beginning, something that is very impressive given that there are only one or two words on each page of the book. It is a beautifully structured book and very intelligently designed.

Ruzzier’s illustrations have his unique feel with surreal landscapes filled with sherbet-colored hills and a green ocean. The illustrations have a friendly cartoon style but also a sophistication that one expects from a book by Ruzzier.

A smart look at a boy and his dog and their adventures together. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

[Deb]

I like the illustrations and how the dog progressively seems to get smarter.

[Danielle]

How do I train my dog like this?

[Ms. B]

Cue story about the friendship between a boy and his dog.

[The Book Consultant]

Cute and simple. This would be a good read for a young child learning new words.

[Tonja Drecker]

With very few words, this is the story of a boy and his dog.

In many ways, this is a simple book. The text is held to a bare minimum, staying on the simple one or two word commands a boy gives to his dog. The dog reacts. At first, it's simple, but as the story progresses, everything becomes more complex.

The illustrations are lovingly done and carry the tale more than the words themselves. The relationship and imagination comes to light in the watercolor depictions and will have young listeners dreaming of all of the things they could do with their 'best friends'.

When I picked this up for the first time, I immediately had the urge to read it to our dog. Out of curiosity, I left the book on the table and sure enough, every member of my household did the exact same thing. Our dog loved it, in other words, too.

It's a simple, cute read which plays on the wonderful relationship of people and their pet dogs.

I received a complimentary copy and found it fun enough to want to leave my honest thoughts.

[Kathryn]

A book about 'a boy and his dog. Or is it a dog and his boy?' This is a sweet picture book with one word per page but with very engaging illustrations. The boy and dog do many things together including a thrilling adventure at the end.

[Emily]

There's nothing wrong with this one, and in theory it's pretty fun, but something about the illustrations is unsettling to me (why does the dog's nose turn up at the end? why is the ocean orange and green?)

[Pam]

Simple one word sentences for early readers. Interesting twist at the end as it's not certain who is talking - the boy or the dog.
Illustrations bring the story to life and still leave room for a reader's imagination.

[Jessica]

Sweet illustrations - each page is one word - sit, stay, roll....a sweet story of a dog and his boy, or a boy and his dog.

[Mason Hazelwood]

Quick read about a boy and his dog doing a variety of fun activities. Starting out more realistic such as basic commands and leading to them eventually going to outer space. Their adventures were not limited and not heavily described but the simple cartoon pictures told most of the story. The dog even began to do more human like activities, which shows the kids imagination running wild about the time he spends with his dog. The pictures vary page by page, but the dog is made to be more human like as the story progresses. They stick to a similar color scheme throughout and have almost a watercolor color over the black outlines. Some of the pages contain full page spreads which are used to tell about the outer space adventure, and other pages have multiple smaller pictures that show a simpler scene. This book would be best for kids ages 3-6 as it is picture heavy and the images are more geared for them.

[Margaret]

They are next to you as you fall asleep. When you wake, they are still there. The schedule of your day revolves around their meals and their necessity to take walks. There are times when you wonder who exactly is walking who. Their attention to every movement, sight and sound is astounding. When they mimic human characteristics, nothing is funnier.

Dogs make life infinitely better. They are eternal optimists. They radiate unconditional love. Good Boy (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, February 12, 2019) written and illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier depicts their insatiable desire for adventure.


My full recommendation: https://librariansquest.blogspot.com/...

[Eva Johnston]

Summary: A boy and his dog. His dog knows lots of tricks. He can even build a rocket ship for an exploration into space! A simple story about a good boy.

Evaluation: This story is mostly one word sentences, written for early readers. There is a lot of white space around the words written on each page. The illustrations also closely match each sentence. I don't believe this book is going to win the Giesel award though.

Teaching Idea: This book would be great when teaching students about action words, verbs. Most of the one word sentences are commands for the dog to follow. Each of these words are verbs that can be discussed as a class.

[Lynne Marie]

I do think this book stands out for pushing the envelope as far as what the relationship between a pet and its owner can be and I truly appreciated the way the relationship (between the boy and dog or dog and boy depending on who you believe was driving it) was drawn, but personally, I go for more plot driven books with more than one-word sentences for my money. So I gave it one star for each point and one star because I love dogs and called it a day.

[Cheriee Weichel]

Prior to reading this to k's and grade 1 students, I asked them to think whether is was about a boy and his dog, or a dog and his boy. With one word on each page, this is another book for beginning readers. Each page takes us on a journey with these two, from doing tricks to travelling to outer space and back. It's really hard to pick a favourite page, but the illustrations of the two of them reading in bed would have to be near the top for me.

[Bethany]

A boy and a dog go through a fantastical day together, told entirely in single-word statements that are perfect for emerging readers. Particularly pleasing are the statements that could apply to either or both of the characters. Sit, stay, shake ... are they dog commands? Or simply observations of the two at play together? And, of course, it hints at the question all dog-owners have contemplated: who is taking care of whom?

[Marilyn Wolpin]

Good Boy (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2019) is a sweet and whimsical tale of the relationship between a boy and his dog. All author-illustrator Sergio Ruzzier needed was 31 verbs and one noun to show this friendship. And in the end, we’re not quite sure who’s the Good Boy. The art is surprising and funny and will have little ones paging through it again to see just what the dog is up to. Careful though, it may have your child begging for a good boy of their own.

[MaryLibrarianOH]

A playful look at a boy and dog relationship. Just who is giving the commands in this brief text? The illustrations just might give it away at the end. I think kids are going to want to hear this one more than once and they will be studying the details of each illustrated interaction very closely after that initial read.

[Linda]

I adore Sergio Ruzzier's wit, just perfect for young readers, maybe for all of us to sit back and enjoy a brief story, a happy one. This is about a boy and his dog, he writes, or about a dog and his boy! From simple tasks to complex adventures, it's terrific, with details to discover! I think I like the "pedal" page best. Now you have to find the book so you can see it, too!

[Dest]

This works well as an early reader. The illustrations give clues to deciphering the printed text. There are only a few words on each page. The story is charming and funny, worth reading more than once.

My daughter and nephew (both four years old) enjoyed trying to guess what the text said based on the pictures and laughed at the increasing absurdity of the story.

[Great Books]

A boy and his dog embark on familiar and imaginative adventures throughout their day. Nuanced with an all-too-familiar dynamic, the simple text and watercolor illustrations present a sweet and whimsical tone centering on the amusing relationship between dog and boy. This quiet read is perfect for bedtime or lap-sit snuggles!

Review #4

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams]

A book with few words and a simple story line that celebrates the beautiful friendship of a boy and his dog.

**Talking points: What pets do you have or have you had in your life? How did each of the pets bless your life? Did you teach any of them anything? Was it hard or easy? Is there a pet that you'd want to have?

[Christy]

A New York Times Best Children’s Book of 2019

A boy and a dog embark on an out-of-this-world adventure in this whimsical picture book from award-winning author-illustrator Sergio Ruzzier.

This is the story of a boy and his dog.

Or is it a dog and his boy?

Either way, it’s a playful story of friendship and adventure!