Spot & Dot

Spot the Cat #2

by Henry Cole

From beloved author-illustrator Henry Cole comes the stunning follow-up to Spot, the Cat. In this beautiful wordless picture book, Spot the cat finds a dog named Dot who’s off on her own adventure through the city!

In Henry Cole’s vivid wordless picture book Spot, the Cat, readers joined Spot on a journey through a city that began with him following a bird outside his window.

This time, a dog named Dot draws Spot from his window. As we follow Spot and Dot on their wordless journey, we quickly realize that it’s Dot the dog who is missing this time, and Spot is trying to get her back home. We follow these two on a different journey through the city as they weave in and out of a bakery, a library, a busy park, and more. And with a surprise twist at the end, we realize that “home” for both cat and dog was never very far away.

With detailed black-and-white illustrations, readers will love following Spot and Dot on their adventure and cheering for the sweet reunion at the end.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Dogs, Cats, Childrens, Friendship, Fiction

32 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 13, 2019

About the author

Henry Cole was a celebrated science teacher for many years before turning his talents to children's books. He has worked on nearly one hundred and fifty books for children, including Nesting, Unspoken, Big Bug, A Nest for Celeste, Jack's Garden, and On Meadowview Street. Henry loves being outside where he can sketch and write.

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This time Spot is on a mission to find Dot. It was fun to find them in each of the exquisitely drawn pages. Will Spot catch up with Dot as they weave through the city visiting businesses, outside venues and a library. The bakery is my absolute favorite followed closely by the Library.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wordless picture book almost has a Where's Waldo? vibe to it. The detailed black-and-white illustrations have so much to look at, besides the dog and cat who are running through each picture. While the story is fairly basic, the book is fun to peruse. Can you pick out Spot and Dot as they make their way through the city?

I don't know what else I can say about this one. For a wordless picture book, it's done fairly well. If you like seek-and-find illustrations, you might like this book, too. Now I'm kind of curious about the first book in the series...

Quotable moment:

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

That wandering feline Spot, who first appeared in illustrator Henry Cole's Spot, the Cat , returns in this second wordless picture-book. As Spot and her human boy look out the window, they each see something different: the boy sees a girl posting notices about her lost dog, while Spot sees Dot, the dog in question. Cat and boy each set out to help, and the visual narrative follows them - mostly Spot chasing Dot - throughout the city...

Like its predecessor, I found Spot & Dot charming, with its detailed pencil illustrations and its fun search-and-find structure, in which the eponymous cat and dog chase through the city. My favorite drawing was actually the one at the beginning of the book, showing Spot and Dot curled up together and taking a nap, although that's not something that ever occurs, during the course of the story. Recommended to Henry Cole fans, to anyone who enjoyed Spot's first adventure, and to anyone who enjoys wordless picture-books.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

You don't often see a cat chasing a dog . . . and the pair gets even harder to spot as they weave in and out of crowds at an antiques market, a dog park, and a library.



join the fun, and help a boy and girl look for their AWOL pets in this fun, wordless book.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just delightful

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely delightful illustrations! I love the vibrancy that shines through even with just the black and white pencil illustrations -- you really feel part of this this neighborhood and the shops, restaurants and parks that Spot and Dot dash through on this adventure. The illustrations are so detailed and expressive and carry the story along perfectly without words. Sensitive youngsters may worry about Spot and Dot's safety as their madcap adventure takes them away from their people and through the city, but rest assured there is a happy ending, animals reunited with their humans, and new friendships formed.

[Billie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a seek-and-find-style book that is also telling a cohesive story and I loved hunting for Spot and Dot in Cole's elaborate illustrations. I imagine kids will love it even more than I, their eyes being less old and squinty.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will keep children entertained for hours. There is so much to look at and spot, while you follow along. When I was a child, I would have loved to try and copy the illustrations as well. I feel that this will spur imagination and creativity to all who immerse themselves in the pages.

[Jan Polep · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic illustrations in this wordless book for the 3-8 yr old crowd...although it takes awhile to figure out what's going on as the pictures are so detailed. Dot the dog has run away and Spot the Cat is on the case to find him. Readers and non-readers will love it.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reminiscent of Where's Waldo, readers follow along with Spot the cat and Dot the dog as they become lost and traverse the city, trying to find their way home.
Very charming and the art work of city-scapes is full and varied!

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spot the cat helps a neighbor girl locate and return her lost dog Dot to her safely. This wordless book shows the travels, adventure, and chase as Spot tracks down Dot and the reader is challenged to locate both Spot and Dot on each page.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much detail in the illustrations - it's like a Where's Waldo in black and white. I also loved the humor in the expressions on the faces of the people as Spot and Dot go running through some of the scenes (the coffee shop, the bandstand, and the library).

[Beth P · Rating 3 out of 5]

It feels too similar to the first book for me, and there is not as much challenge in finding the animals. My only complaint in the original book was the lack of racial diversity in the characters, and that is slightly improved in this book.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you been following me from the beginning? If so, then you may remember that the third book I ever reviewed was Spot, the Cat by Henry Cole. When I first saw buzz about the sequel, Spot & Dot, I reached out to Simon Kids to see if they'd be willing to send me a copy, and they happily obliged. Now, I'm here to tell you today that Spot & Dot is just as delightfully detailed an adventure as the original!
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Cole has illustrated both Spot, the Cat and Spot & Dot in immaculate pen drawings. And by immaculate, I mean truly amazing. He completes each page with such intricate detail that readers could spend significant time pouring over each! Additionally, Cole includes so many details through his illustrations that you can tell stories of mini-vignettes while following the larger journey of Spot and Dot.
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So, what is the larger story actually about? Spot & Dot takes readers on an adventure through town, like the original, as Spot once again escapes the apartment once Dot, a dog with a similar dark spot, is spotted. Spot follows Dot around town, while the boy helps Dot's owner, a new girl in the neighborhood, put up "Lost" posters around town.
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I know many parents and teachers don't love reading wordless picture books with their children or students... Are you someone who needs convincing that you should check these out? Maybe instead of trying to "read" it to your children, simply hand them these books and seeing what happens. I think you'll be hard-pressed to find a child who doesn't delight over the stories of these animal friends, or laugh together about the adventures they find through town (it's hard not to enjoy seeing the chaos that ensues when a cat and dog tear through a bakery or a library, after all!).
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If you enjoyed this, check out:
* Spot, the Cat by Henry Cole
* Flotsam by David Wiesner
* The Journey trilogy by Aaron Becker

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a fine line in choosing to follow when curiosity beckons. If we stay, we avoid possible pitfalls, but may miss out on a one-of-a-kind adventure. If we go, we might be walking into a how-do-we-get-out-of-this disaster or we may experience complete joy. There's really no predicting what will occur.

If you happen to be a fearless feline like the one we met in Spot, the Cat (Little Simon, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, March 1, 2016) conceived and illustrated by Henry Cole, there is no weighing of possible outcomes. You go with gusto. This cat is back in a companion title, Spot & Dot (Little Simon, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, August 13, 2019). It's an intricately designed wordless wonder introducing two new characters by Henry Cole. It's a single story weaving through an entire city brimming with stories.


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

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like its predecessor, we have another beautiful wordless picture book. This time, Spot the cat escapes out the door chasing after her new neighbor, Dot the dog. Again, we play "spot the cat" (and dog!) as the animals move through the city. Another "Where's Waldo?" with a story. It was fun seeing what Spot and Dot were getting up to on each page. Plenty of busy crowds, full of everyday activities (like the library!) in these lovely black and illustrations.

Also like its predecessor, this one isn't a storytime-friendly wordless picture book. Too much detail, and too small. But it'd be fun to read one-on-one with a child. It could be as long or as short a read as you wanted to make it - are you just spotting the animals, or are you talking about all the city activities and busy crowds too? Definitely worth a read.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cat named Spot spies a dog named Dot and off they go on an adventure, but their owners, a boy and a girl, miss their beloved pets, make and put up "lost" signs as they go off into the neighborhood looking for Spot & Dot!Henry Cole's black and white illustrations make this wordless story come alive with the detail of the neighborhood from flea market to bakery to dog park to concert-in-the-park and all along, among other "spots and dots", readers need to look carefully for those runaway pets. What fun!

[Juliana Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely pencil drawings lure the reader into an intricate city scape searching for a lost dog. The wordless story of a girl who has just moved into the neighborhood and is putting up flyers for her spotted dog and the boy who lives next door with his spotted cat. The two become friends through their mutual love for their pets, while the pets are running through the city. The cat notices the dog and chases him past the market, through a bakery, a bookstore, and a dog park until they finally make their way back home where they belong.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spot the cat is hot on the trail of Dot, the lost dog.

This book is entirely wordless. It is also all in black and white, but that works well for the hidden picture element. Readers get to see if they can find Spot and Dot in each illustration, and also get to find out if the two will find their way back to their owners. Fabulously illustrated. The hidden pictures vary in difficulty from page to page. A cute picture book great for animal lovers and hidden picture fans.

[charlene.librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

How delightful that Henry Cole has followed his Spot, the Cat with this new title! I am amazed at the specific textures and energy that he conveys with pen and ink (I assume), and I do love the seeing all the pets in the windows. My favorite was the two-page spread in Maxine's Bakery. Thank you for all the delicious detail.

[Heidi Straka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this Book. It is a great mentor text for teaching younger readers that are at the level of pre-emergent the strategy of Reading Pictures for the story. Great Illustrations with so so many great details on each pages. The illustrations are full of some many wonderful vocabulary to introduce to young readers.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is visually very busy, cacophonous like the city streets it depicts, but that makes looking for Spot and Dot all the more fun. Entirely black and white--and wordless except for text appearing on trucks and buildings--this book requires multiple reads in order to enjoy all the detail of each page.

[Eileen Winfrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good wordless picture book and this one really delivers. A reader can spend time on each page discovering new details while looking for Spot and Dot (a cat following a dog out for an adventure). As an adult, I appreciated the artwork, I’ll try it on my kids to see what they think of detailed black-and-white only illustrations. Charming.

[Mama Bearian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spot the Cat sees Dot, the missing dog, and follows along to try to get Dot back home. Spot chases Dot through many locations. Can Spot get Dot back home?

The illustrations in this one are black and white, but so extremely detailed - I loved it! Finding Spot and Dot in the pictures is almost like searching through a Where's Waldo book.

[Beth Kakuma-Depew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute wordless picture book about a lost dog and cat - so many of the illustrations are jam packed with fine line drawings. Children who love seek and find books will enjoy hunting for the cat and dog in each spread. But this is meant for one-on-one enjoyment - too small scale for a classroom outreach.

[Kmgreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple pen and ink illustrations in this wordless book - it doesn't really tell a story but it is nonetheless fun to read. It's kind of like Where's Waldo. You find the dog and cat on each page but more than that too. Each page is so detailed so it's fun to look at all the other little stories and people around the runaway pets.

[Lee Noodle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I love pen and ink illustrations and I love Henry Cole's pen and ink drawings especially. A very simple, wordless story that acts as more of an I Spy game than a story, but that's all the fun of it: lingering over the highly detailed pictures and finding not just Spot and Dot but all the other little details too.

[Ellon · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars (I loved it)

This was even better than the first! This has a very "Where's Waldo" vibe, especially since there are distractor things with similar spots/dots on them. I love the intricate drawings and finding the dog and cat on each page. The end is also super cute with the owners working together.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like the first in the "series" this one has beautiful illustrations. It almost reminds me of a black and white Where's Waldo. If your child likes the Look & Find books they will probably enjoy this book as well.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wordless picture book will appeal to lovers of animals and I Spy. A dog has gone missing, so a little boy and his cat decide to go help in the search. The illustrations are very complex, and will require multiple rereads so no details are missed. A great book for one on one sharing