Dog

by Robert J. Blake

An old man living alone at the edge of a small Irish village grudgingly allows a stray dog into his life. By the author of The Perfect Spot. Reprint.

Genres: Picture Books

32 pages, Paperback

First published March 23, 1994

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I rated this as an OK because I think that most children wouldn't like this book because of the way it was written. It's set in Ireland where a stray dog befriends a lonely old man - however, it is told via the incomplete thoughts of the old man. I really do think children would struggle with this type of format though the thought behind it was good. This book was sitting on the kitchen table at my mother's house, brought home from school by my niece, Mandy. She rated it one-star. Way to go, Mandy - proving me right.

[Gail LaVoie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really cute and very well illustrated. You could easily enjoy it by just flipping through the pages and look at he pictures. All of the pages are printings of oil paintings done by the author/artist Robert J. Blake. The pictures are not only incredibly realistic but they are also vividly colored and beautiful. His use of colors and shading give just the right amount of realism while making sure you understand that it is not real. The story itself is also quite lovely. Its about an old man that lives alone on a small farm. One day a dog shows up and he shoo's the dog away. Every day the dog comes back and eventually the farmer decides that having the dog around is not so bad. He winds up caring for the dog. Its a very sweet tale and one that I hope my daughter enjoys one day as well.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jumpy and incoherent, but I liked it by the end. It's kind of the random stream of consciousness of a crotchety old man.