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That Dog!
This brilliant second picture book from Emma Lazell--a rising star of the picture-book world--is a hilarious dognapping caper.
There's a team of dognappers on the loose! They've stolen lots of pooches, but this time they're up against a very clever dog.
The cunning Penelope Dognapper is very keen to get her hands on the latest rare breed, the lesser-spotted woofer. Her big mistake is sending Patrick, her accomplice, to do the job. He has great difficulty identifying the right dog--that dog--and in a house that also contains a snake, a tortoise, and a characterful cat, you can imagine the chaos that ensues as he tries to steal the dog.
And that dog is a very smart woofer. He's a bit of a detective in his spare time, and he might just have worked out who's behind the dastardly crimes. Will he avoid getting caught himself and rescue his fellow creatures?
There's a team of dognappers on the loose! They've stolen lots of pooches, but this time they're up against a very clever dog.
The cunning Penelope Dognapper is very keen to get her hands on the latest rare breed, the lesser-spotted woofer. Her big mistake is sending Patrick, her accomplice, to do the job. He has great difficulty identifying the right dog--that dog--and in a house that also contains a snake, a tortoise, and a characterful cat, you can imagine the chaos that ensues as he tries to steal the dog.
And that dog is a very smart woofer. He's a bit of a detective in his spare time, and he might just have worked out who's behind the dastardly crimes. Will he avoid getting caught himself and rescue his fellow creatures?
- GenresPicture Books
32 pages, Hardcover
Published April 7, 2020
6 people want to read
About the author
Emma Lazell
3 books2 followersEmma Lazell was born in Chelmsford, Essex and is a Coventry-based illustrator and author. Her work is linear, expressive, and sprinkled with irony and playfulness.
In 2018 she completed the hugely prestigious MA in Children’s Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art, Anglia Ruskin University, graduating with a distinction. In 2014 she graduated with an undergraduate degree in Illustration from The University for the Creative Arts.
Her first picture book, Big Cat, was published in 2019.
In 2018 she completed the hugely prestigious MA in Children’s Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art, Anglia Ruskin University, graduating with a distinction. In 2014 she graduated with an undergraduate degree in Illustration from The University for the Creative Arts.
Her first picture book, Big Cat, was published in 2019.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 24, 2020
That Dog! has me laughing every time we read it. It's funny and cute. The background illustrations are chock full of humorous details. And the detective theme is right up T's alley.
The story begins with Penny, a dognapper, and her new, bumbling assistant. When a spotted dog moves into town, she sends Pat to steal it. Breaking into the dog's house multiple times, he brings home every other pet with spots, but somehow misses the dog that's right in front of him. In the end, the dog, who has been observing Pat's blunders, leads the police to Penny's door. All the previously-stolen dogs (and other pets) are returned to their owners, which T is gratified to see.
I do find the premise questionable, but the laughs it elicits outweigh my bafflement with how these dognappers walked other people's pets around town without notice (especially with so many WANTED posters up and mugshots in the local paper). That Dog! skirts the bounds of anthropomorphism but is one of the few books of this sort that I actively choose to read with T. To give you an idea, Richard Scarry and Benjamin Chaud also make the cut. The reason? All those funny little details in the illustrations.
For dog lovers and those who love to laugh, That Dog! is worth the read.
Son's Review
(Age: 5)
What happens:
So there's a dog who Penny wants a lot, and he's [sic] a dog robber, and he has a lot of dogs, and he wants a certain dog that's in town that he likes, and he needs help from his new assistant Pat. And gets arrested.
There's different signs in the book that say, "WANTED."
It's really funny.
The funniest part:
When the dog tricks them and hides. And then, "ding-dong," and they think it won't be the dog, but it's the dog. And he comes with the police, and he arrests Penny and Pat. And the dog is kind of like a detective thing.
T's favorite part:
When the dognappers get arrested because that's funny. They seem super dumb, and they don't know what to do. And when they want a bunch of dogs, they don't even think about how much room they have in their house. Soon they're gonna be squished.
How the dognappers could go undetected despite a large pack of dogs in their home:
Maybe they kept the dogs inside and they would lock the doors. Maybe they would not open the windows.
The final illustration leads T to wonder, "I wonder if we'll get a cat-napper book?" Is a sequel in the works, Ms. Lazell?
Note: A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
The story begins with Penny, a dognapper, and her new, bumbling assistant. When a spotted dog moves into town, she sends Pat to steal it. Breaking into the dog's house multiple times, he brings home every other pet with spots, but somehow misses the dog that's right in front of him. In the end, the dog, who has been observing Pat's blunders, leads the police to Penny's door. All the previously-stolen dogs (and other pets) are returned to their owners, which T is gratified to see.
I do find the premise questionable, but the laughs it elicits outweigh my bafflement with how these dognappers walked other people's pets around town without notice (especially with so many WANTED posters up and mugshots in the local paper). That Dog! skirts the bounds of anthropomorphism but is one of the few books of this sort that I actively choose to read with T. To give you an idea, Richard Scarry and Benjamin Chaud also make the cut. The reason? All those funny little details in the illustrations.
For dog lovers and those who love to laugh, That Dog! is worth the read.
Son's Review
(Age: 5)
What happens:
So there's a dog who Penny wants a lot, and he's [sic] a dog robber, and he has a lot of dogs, and he wants a certain dog that's in town that he likes, and he needs help from his new assistant Pat. And gets arrested.
There's different signs in the book that say, "WANTED."
It's really funny.
The funniest part:
When the dog tricks them and hides. And then, "ding-dong," and they think it won't be the dog, but it's the dog. And he comes with the police, and he arrests Penny and Pat. And the dog is kind of like a detective thing.
T's favorite part:
When the dognappers get arrested because that's funny. They seem super dumb, and they don't know what to do. And when they want a bunch of dogs, they don't even think about how much room they have in their house. Soon they're gonna be squished.
How the dognappers could go undetected despite a large pack of dogs in their home:
Maybe they kept the dogs inside and they would lock the doors. Maybe they would not open the windows.
The final illustration leads T to wonder, "I wonder if we'll get a cat-napper book?" Is a sequel in the works, Ms. Lazell?
Note: A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
June 26, 2020
A ruthless gang of dognappers is on the loose, and their next target is.... That Dog! But That Dog will not be caught unawares. He is on their trail, following the clues to rescue the other dogs who have been dognapped. The dognapper's assistant is not too bright, and he mistakenly kidnaps a snake, a rabbit, and a cat while searching for That Dog.
I love the silly story and the fun characters. That Dog is quite a clever dog, and I liked how we see him with a notebook full of clues. He carries around a magnifying glass and reads books like "Sherlock Bones and Dog Watson". He reads the newspaper and does the crossword puzzle. A dog who reads is my kind of dog.
I love the cute illustrations in this book! The cartoony style and bright colors are perfect for this type of silly story. The best part is all the details in the background of each scene. There is a newspaper that alerts the community of the dognappers evil presence. There are Wanted posters around the town. As the dognapper's assistant searches for That Dog, he leaves behind little clues; he loses a hat, then a glove, and he leaves footprints on the floor. Those little details that aren't included in the text enhance the story so much, and make it really fun to search the artwork for clues. My favorite illustrated detail is a child in the background reading "Big Cat", which is another fantastic book by this author. It may be a shameless plug, but it's adorable!
Everything about this book is whimsical and fun!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
I love the silly story and the fun characters. That Dog is quite a clever dog, and I liked how we see him with a notebook full of clues. He carries around a magnifying glass and reads books like "Sherlock Bones and Dog Watson". He reads the newspaper and does the crossword puzzle. A dog who reads is my kind of dog.
I love the cute illustrations in this book! The cartoony style and bright colors are perfect for this type of silly story. The best part is all the details in the background of each scene. There is a newspaper that alerts the community of the dognappers evil presence. There are Wanted posters around the town. As the dognapper's assistant searches for That Dog, he leaves behind little clues; he loses a hat, then a glove, and he leaves footprints on the floor. Those little details that aren't included in the text enhance the story so much, and make it really fun to search the artwork for clues. My favorite illustrated detail is a child in the background reading "Big Cat", which is another fantastic book by this author. It may be a shameless plug, but it's adorable!
Everything about this book is whimsical and fun!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.
October 16, 2020
See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfi...
THAT DOG! is a silly fun picture book about animal similarities and light crime solving. Penny is a dognapper, and she has a new assistant named Pat. They have lots of dogs, but Penny wants THAT DOG with the spots who is so clever. Pat goes to get That Dog and finds something with spots, but it is a snake, not a dog. So he goes back again with comical results. The end of the book shows the dognappers being caught by the clever That Dog.
What I loved: This is truly silly fun with the inept dognappers and many animals who fit the qualities of That Dog. The book also has themes of the necessity of specificity and detailed directions as well as how different animals can also be similar. The illustrations are pretty charming with That Dog in all sorts of classic detective disguises (eg, behind a newspaper with eye holes cut out). The length of the story is great for young picture book readers, and the justice at the end is plenty of fun.
Final verdict: THAT DOG! is a cute picture book with lots of silly fun. Great illustrations and funny storyline make this a win for picture book readers.
Please note that I received a review copy. All opinions are my own.
THAT DOG! is a silly fun picture book about animal similarities and light crime solving. Penny is a dognapper, and she has a new assistant named Pat. They have lots of dogs, but Penny wants THAT DOG with the spots who is so clever. Pat goes to get That Dog and finds something with spots, but it is a snake, not a dog. So he goes back again with comical results. The end of the book shows the dognappers being caught by the clever That Dog.
What I loved: This is truly silly fun with the inept dognappers and many animals who fit the qualities of That Dog. The book also has themes of the necessity of specificity and detailed directions as well as how different animals can also be similar. The illustrations are pretty charming with That Dog in all sorts of classic detective disguises (eg, behind a newspaper with eye holes cut out). The length of the story is great for young picture book readers, and the justice at the end is plenty of fun.
Final verdict: THAT DOG! is a cute picture book with lots of silly fun. Great illustrations and funny storyline make this a win for picture book readers.
Please note that I received a review copy. All opinions are my own.
August 28, 2020
Penny and Pat have a LOT of dogs at their house. Dogs of all shapes and sizes and colors. Penny notices a spotted dog in town and decides she wants THAT DOG. Pat is Penny’s new assistant dog-napper and she sets him out on the mission of finding that spotted dog she wants. Fortunately, Pat isn’t a very good dog-napper and THAT DOG is a very smart dog.
This is a very silly book and kids will for sure laugh when Pat brings home the wrong spotted animals to Penny. The illustrations are fun and eye-catching and there is a lot to look at on each page. The expressions on the animals as well as the people are hilarious. The words “bounce” around the pages as well which makes it a fun read aloud.
There is a lot to enjoy about this book and I loved the final pages of the homeowners back together with their beloved pets. Kids will love this one for the silly story and vividly expressive illustrations!
This is a very silly book and kids will for sure laugh when Pat brings home the wrong spotted animals to Penny. The illustrations are fun and eye-catching and there is a lot to look at on each page. The expressions on the animals as well as the people are hilarious. The words “bounce” around the pages as well which makes it a fun read aloud.
There is a lot to enjoy about this book and I loved the final pages of the homeowners back together with their beloved pets. Kids will love this one for the silly story and vividly expressive illustrations!
August 21, 2020
There is a new dog in the neighborhood. A sinister couple who loves dogs wants this new dog to add to their collection. They have accumulated many dogs of every color, shape and size. They will discover the new spotted dog is not an average dog. He is smart and quick and not going to be an easy catch for the sinister duo. Perhaps the dog has a plan for them as well.
Parents, teachers and young readers will laugh out loud while reading this story. The hilarious illustrations with plenty of action and lots of little details make this story very engaging. Short bursty sentences will make this a great read for beginners.
Parents, teachers and young readers will laugh out loud while reading this story. The hilarious illustrations with plenty of action and lots of little details make this story very engaging. Short bursty sentences will make this a great read for beginners.
July 11, 2020
Penny and Pat are dog nappers who believe there's always a need for another dog in, That Dog! Despite numerous news articles describing them and offered rewards, they've never been caught; they're much too smart.
Or so they think.
Read my full review here: http://agoodreid.blogspot.com/2020/07...
Or so they think.
Read my full review here: http://agoodreid.blogspot.com/2020/07...
December 5, 2021
This one wasn’t as well received by my 4 year old as That Cat was, but it was still enjoyable. I really like the kind of goofy illustration style. This is one of those books where one character keeps making variations on the same mistake, petnapping the wrong pet over and over. Funny and engaging but ultimately didn’t leave a strong impression.
August 2, 2020
The illustrations only add to the reader’s enjoyment. They are bold, bright, and remind one of a circus – which is pretty appropriate to the story.
For the full review: https://twobookwormsblog.wordpress.co...
For the full review: https://twobookwormsblog.wordpress.co...
September 4, 2020
That Dog is an incredibly fun book and a good laugh for all ages! Emma is an extremely talented author and illustrator and her second book is just as exciting as her first book, Big Cat. Highly recommended!
February 1, 2022
Haha such a cute kids book to read with your kiddo. The dog in the story reminds me of our one dog. Thanks for the very fun family read.
February 21, 2025
(Library Borrow) Didn’t hate it. Didn’t love it, was alright
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews