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What the Dog Knows
In her worst summer ever, Naomi’s life falls apart. Her dog Diesel dies, Dad loses his job, her parents split, and she’s stuck babysitting instead of taking swimming lessons. Then Naomi drowns. Naomi wakes to an alive, talking Diesel, who knows why her watch keeps resetting to 4:30 on July 1. Can his knowledge save her?
207 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 21, 2022
5 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
About the author
Sylvia McNicoll
38 books83 followersBorn in Ajax, Sylvia McNicoll (pseudonym Genna Dare ) grew up in Montreal, Quebec where she received her BA in English with a minor in Economics from Concordia University. She began her writing career with adult short stories and household tips that were published in women's magazines, and moved on to freelance articles for Burlington local newspapers. Her friend and published author, Gisela Sherman, convinced her to take a children's writing course by Paul Kropp at Sheridan College. It was under his guidance that she wrote her first book "Blueberries and Whipped Cream" as a class project. Nine published books later she returned to Sheridan College to teach creative writing for a decade. She also edited "Today's Parent Toronto" for eight years.
Among her award winning published works are:
Project disaster, illustrated by Brian Boyd (Scholastic Canada, 1990) – Winner of Our Choice, 1990-91
The big race! Illustrated by Susan Gardos (Scholastic Canada, 1996) – winner of Our Choice, 1996-97
Jump Start, illustrated by Janet Wilson (Collier Macmillan Canada, 1989) – winner of Our Choice, 1989-90
Bringing Up Beauty (Maxwell Macmillan Canada, 1994) – winner of Our choice, 1995-96; Silver Birch Award, 1996; Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice Award, 1997
Caught in a Lie (Scholastic Canada, 2000) – winner of Explora-Toy award, 2001
Among her award winning published works are:
Project disaster, illustrated by Brian Boyd (Scholastic Canada, 1990) – Winner of Our Choice, 1990-91
The big race! Illustrated by Susan Gardos (Scholastic Canada, 1996) – winner of Our Choice, 1996-97
Jump Start, illustrated by Janet Wilson (Collier Macmillan Canada, 1989) – winner of Our Choice, 1989-90
Bringing Up Beauty (Maxwell Macmillan Canada, 1994) – winner of Our choice, 1995-96; Silver Birch Award, 1996; Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice Award, 1997
Caught in a Lie (Scholastic Canada, 2000) – winner of Explora-Toy award, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
June 14, 2022
4.5★s
What The Dog Knows is a novel for tweens by award-winning Canadian author, Sylvia McNicoll. It’s no exaggeration to say that Naomi Bello is having her worst ever summer. First off, her dad loses his job. Then her parents break up and mom needs to get a job to cover the rent. That means Naomi has to sit her baby cousin, Luanne, missing out on her swim classes. Then her Australian cattle dog, Diesel is hit by a little red Smart Car and dies. A week later, on July 1st, Canada Day, Naomi drowns.
She’s quite surprised, therefore, to come to, in the back yard, with a lump on her head, on June 25th, the day Diesel that died. Even more amazing is that Diesel is there, with her, alive and she can hear what he’s thinking. The funky old red digital watch her dad gave her, though, says 4.30pm, THU July 1st, the exact moment she died, and has water droplets inside. And no matter how often she sets the right time, it reverts back to that.
Naomi wonders if it’s all some super-vivid hallucination, but if it isn’t, she’s determined to keep Diesel out of the path of that little Smart Car. And maybe try to get her parents back together. If the watch is any indication, and Diesel says it is, she has a week to do it. It seems that Diesel is on a mission too, to protect all of his pack.
While Naomi is a little wary, she reluctantly teams up with her neighbour and classmate, Morgan Hanson, whose parents are also split, and whose dog died. She seems to want to help Naomi to be more popular with the cool girls, and a certain Simon, and she’s good with Diesel (who insists she be part of their pack), helping to train him so he won’t go running in front of cars. But Naomi wonders if Morgan has her own agenda.
Diesel is definitely the star of this novel: his advice for Naomi is sound, and his reactions and interpretations are laugh-out-loud funny. He’s so perceptive, that Naomi eventually asks herself “Has he always understood everything? Is it just me who hasn’t listened to him?”
McNicoll includes lessons about friendship and loyalty, about love and trust and death, at just the right level for this age group. While aimed at tweens, this is a novel that adults of any age will also find very entertaining. Recommended!
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Dundurn Press
What The Dog Knows is a novel for tweens by award-winning Canadian author, Sylvia McNicoll. It’s no exaggeration to say that Naomi Bello is having her worst ever summer. First off, her dad loses his job. Then her parents break up and mom needs to get a job to cover the rent. That means Naomi has to sit her baby cousin, Luanne, missing out on her swim classes. Then her Australian cattle dog, Diesel is hit by a little red Smart Car and dies. A week later, on July 1st, Canada Day, Naomi drowns.
She’s quite surprised, therefore, to come to, in the back yard, with a lump on her head, on June 25th, the day Diesel that died. Even more amazing is that Diesel is there, with her, alive and she can hear what he’s thinking. The funky old red digital watch her dad gave her, though, says 4.30pm, THU July 1st, the exact moment she died, and has water droplets inside. And no matter how often she sets the right time, it reverts back to that.
Naomi wonders if it’s all some super-vivid hallucination, but if it isn’t, she’s determined to keep Diesel out of the path of that little Smart Car. And maybe try to get her parents back together. If the watch is any indication, and Diesel says it is, she has a week to do it. It seems that Diesel is on a mission too, to protect all of his pack.
While Naomi is a little wary, she reluctantly teams up with her neighbour and classmate, Morgan Hanson, whose parents are also split, and whose dog died. She seems to want to help Naomi to be more popular with the cool girls, and a certain Simon, and she’s good with Diesel (who insists she be part of their pack), helping to train him so he won’t go running in front of cars. But Naomi wonders if Morgan has her own agenda.
Diesel is definitely the star of this novel: his advice for Naomi is sound, and his reactions and interpretations are laugh-out-loud funny. He’s so perceptive, that Naomi eventually asks herself “Has he always understood everything? Is it just me who hasn’t listened to him?”
McNicoll includes lessons about friendship and loyalty, about love and trust and death, at just the right level for this age group. While aimed at tweens, this is a novel that adults of any age will also find very entertaining. Recommended!
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Dundurn Press
February 10, 2022
This fast-paced story is a Groundhog Day scenario about a girl and a dog who get the chance of a lifetime for a do-over. A well-crafted and heartwarming story, but be prepared to shed some good tears. Sylvia is masterful in her creation of dog characters. Diesel is so lovable and nuanced and real, and his devotion to his pack is beautiful.
#sylviamcnicoll #dundurn #netgalley
#sylviamcnicoll #dundurn #netgalley
February 5, 2022
This short book made me tear up many a time. Honestly, I was not expecting it to turn out this way!
Thank you, Dundurn Press, for the advance reading copy.
I actually cannot wait for the physical copy to come out. Let's wait for two more months, shall we?
I was expecting the story and the writing to be like middle grade good but it turned out much more awesome than I had anticipated.
The writing starts slow and in a warm tone. However, it picks up really fast and you will be surprised with the writing throughout until the book ends.
The characters. Diesel, the dog, took me by surprise. Author, how I wish I could talk with our german shepherds! You have made it possible through Diesel somehow. That's quite awesome. You will love the characters you are supposed to love but for the other characters you have to decide what you feel about them when the book ends. Yes, a few obvious ones you are so going to be irritated with. Get ready for that.
The story is as the blurb says. But the execution is much more stronger and better presented than you would expect. From the blurb, I was expecting the story to be a much heavy read. Yes, it started the way as expected but the story progresses in a much adventurous and light, fun mysterious manner. Expect a good short read is all I want to say.
The ending is so satisfying!
Thank you, Dundurn Press, for the advance reading copy.
I actually cannot wait for the physical copy to come out. Let's wait for two more months, shall we?
I was expecting the story and the writing to be like middle grade good but it turned out much more awesome than I had anticipated.
The writing starts slow and in a warm tone. However, it picks up really fast and you will be surprised with the writing throughout until the book ends.
The characters. Diesel, the dog, took me by surprise. Author, how I wish I could talk with our german shepherds! You have made it possible through Diesel somehow. That's quite awesome. You will love the characters you are supposed to love but for the other characters you have to decide what you feel about them when the book ends. Yes, a few obvious ones you are so going to be irritated with. Get ready for that.
The story is as the blurb says. But the execution is much more stronger and better presented than you would expect. From the blurb, I was expecting the story to be a much heavy read. Yes, it started the way as expected but the story progresses in a much adventurous and light, fun mysterious manner. Expect a good short read is all I want to say.
The ending is so satisfying!
December 4, 2022
Another well written fictional novel by a local author who tells a story about a young girl and her dog, Diesel, who dies at the beginning of the story... or does he? Naomi, the owner, has other troubles like separated parents, few friends, and when a sometime-friend named Morgan convinces her to swim, she nearly drowns as she doesn't know how to swim. When she comes to, her dog is no longer dead and seems to be talking to her! Is she hallucinating? Listed as having similarities to a movie I dislike called, "Groundhog Day," I didn't think I'd enjoy this book but was pleasantly surprised as the action, humour, and insight of the author kept me interested and I enjoyed this story.
June 24, 2022
This book had me captivated from beginning to end. From the humour of dog-human telepathy, to the heartwarming depiction of teen friendship, to fully realized secondary characters that enrich the world. Is it cliché to say you’ll laugh and cry? You will!
May 17, 2022
A beautiful story of friendship and hope. My 9 year old boy and I thoroughly enjoyed reading "What the Dog Knows."
It's a story about Naomi and her dog Diesel, who returns from the afterlife on a mission to save her. It deals with friendships, between people, dogs, parents and couples, as well as the anxiety of separation of parents for a child and the subject of death. It covers a lot of angles and just works really well.
The language in the book might be a bit difficult for a young child to read themselves, but I read it to my son and he loved it, despite there being a couple of really sad bits.
My son fell in love with Diesel and loved how Naomi could communicate with him. He would love that communication with our Golden Retriever!
A lovely book, and a really good read. Thank you to Netgalley and Dundurn Press for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
It's a story about Naomi and her dog Diesel, who returns from the afterlife on a mission to save her. It deals with friendships, between people, dogs, parents and couples, as well as the anxiety of separation of parents for a child and the subject of death. It covers a lot of angles and just works really well.
The language in the book might be a bit difficult for a young child to read themselves, but I read it to my son and he loved it, despite there being a couple of really sad bits.
My son fell in love with Diesel and loved how Naomi could communicate with him. He would love that communication with our Golden Retriever!
A lovely book, and a really good read. Thank you to Netgalley and Dundurn Press for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 17, 2022
I was interested in reading this book as soon as I saw the title. I love the idea of being able to talk to a dog. There are so many times I’ve wished I could!
In this story, Naomi’s dog Diesel dies, her parents split up and on July 1st at 4:30, Naomi drowns ion the lake. Time shifts and she awakens one week earlier. In her new reality, Diesel is able to talk and together they must fix things before time runs out.
Throughout the book, I laughed out loud at Diesel’s voice, and felt quite saddened at the unexpected turns in Naomi’s life. Overall, I loved their friendship and how they look out for one another.
This is a great book to read on the summer holidays or anytime!
In this story, Naomi’s dog Diesel dies, her parents split up and on July 1st at 4:30, Naomi drowns ion the lake. Time shifts and she awakens one week earlier. In her new reality, Diesel is able to talk and together they must fix things before time runs out.
Throughout the book, I laughed out loud at Diesel’s voice, and felt quite saddened at the unexpected turns in Naomi’s life. Overall, I loved their friendship and how they look out for one another.
This is a great book to read on the summer holidays or anytime!
July 30, 2022
A sweet and poignant story, it made me cry and moved me. I loved Diesel and loved his advice and his personality.
The plot flows and kept me turning pages.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
The plot flows and kept me turning pages.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
July 28, 2022
This second-chance story is full of sweet, sad and funny. When Naomi and her dog get a second chance at life, they do things differently. They do whatever it takes to save their pack. As an added bonus, Naomi can suddenly read her dog Diesel's mind. The author is clearly a dog-lover-- the dog's thoughts are both funny and wonderfully sweet. Highly recommend!
September 29, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The cover is fabulous, too!
June 22, 2022
The worst summer of all for Naomi. Her father loses his job, her parents split up and her dog Diesel dies, Naomi blames herself, as most teens do for all of these terrible things. Her solution is to jump off of a dock even thought she can't swim and Naomi dies. BUT she gets a second chance at life taking direction from a very much alive Diesel who can now talk!! Great book for teens and young adults!
June 13, 2022
Definitely crowd-pleasing! Diesel steals every scene.
July 6, 2022
What a wonderful story. I LOVED Diesel-the-dog and the relationship Naomi had with him. Their love was evident and they took such good care of each other. McNicoll cleverly wrote their communication and at times I laughed out loud. I also really enjoyed the relationship between Naomi and Morgan. This book is a fantastic read, especially in the summer! Watch out though, you might cry at the end.
May 5, 2022
In this Groundhog day-esqe middle grade novel, Naomi is having a terrible summer. Her dog, Diesel, dies, her parents split up and on Canada Day at 4:30, Naomi drowns. Time shifts and she awakens one week earlier. In her new reality, Diesel can talk and they must work together to fix things before time runs out.
I was drawn to read this story as I loved the idea of being able to talk to your dog. I mean who wouldn't want to be able to know what their pet is thinking. Diesel is portrayed perfectly - its exactly how I think my dog would talk.
After diving into this story, it was so much more than I expected. Naomi feels alone and finds a tentative friendship in Morgan as she splits her time between her parents. She tries to learn to swim and works on training Diesel to keep him safe. We get to watch her grow as she tries to right what went wrong in her life.
This does sound like a heavier read from the description, but I promise its not. It is a story about getting a second chance, developing trust and friendships, coming together as family and looking out for one another.
Highly recommend to anyone looking for an adorable second chance story.
Thank you, thank you to the publisher for my gifted copy!
I was drawn to read this story as I loved the idea of being able to talk to your dog. I mean who wouldn't want to be able to know what their pet is thinking. Diesel is portrayed perfectly - its exactly how I think my dog would talk.
After diving into this story, it was so much more than I expected. Naomi feels alone and finds a tentative friendship in Morgan as she splits her time between her parents. She tries to learn to swim and works on training Diesel to keep him safe. We get to watch her grow as she tries to right what went wrong in her life.
This does sound like a heavier read from the description, but I promise its not. It is a story about getting a second chance, developing trust and friendships, coming together as family and looking out for one another.
Highly recommend to anyone looking for an adorable second chance story.
Thank you, thank you to the publisher for my gifted copy!
May 10, 2022
July 1. Naomi is not having an easy time. Her parents are separated, her family is struggling financially, and her best friend in the world, Diesel her dog, was hit by a car and died. Then Naomi, trying to learn how to swim, jumps off a dock and drowns. She wakes to find it is a week earlier; and Diesel is alive and talking to her! He says he can help save her and the "entire pack". Can Naomi work with Diesel to set things right and save both herself and Diesel?
I loved this charming story for middle school readers and would highly recommend it to parents of young readers anywhere from grade 6-9. It covers themes of family, responsibility, trust and of course, the close bond with our furry friends. The commentary from Diesel throughout was so funny, and the ending is so satisfying.
I loved this charming story for middle school readers and would highly recommend it to parents of young readers anywhere from grade 6-9. It covers themes of family, responsibility, trust and of course, the close bond with our furry friends. The commentary from Diesel throughout was so funny, and the ending is so satisfying.
Read
February 25, 2024What the Dog Knows takes place over the course of a week. When the 1st of July rolls around the first time, Naomi has lost her beloved dog, Diesel. Nothing in life is going well. She isn’t sure whether Morgan is truly her friend, her parents have separated and her grief for losing her dog is inescapable. When she jumps off a dock and drowns, she wakes up a week earlier on the day Diesel died. He is alive and she can hear him talk. What follows is a week where Diesel helps Naomi realize who her pack is and how to bring the people she loves together.
At the beginning, Naomi is struggling with her reality. She died but she is still alive and her dog is talking to her. She compares the life she is living to the one she has lived before and by being more present in the moment and receptive to the feelings of those around her, she is able to not only learn to do things for herself but also speak up.
Naomi’s friendship with Morgan reminded me of my own friendship with someone I knew a long time ago. Not all friendships are straightforward. Not all friends are the ones we imagine having. People are different and that’s a lesson we learn through teenage years in particular. Naomi, for some reason, always expects the worst of Morgan. I am not sure why that is and how she came to be so mistrustful of her friend, but the incident with Diesel and herself wakes her up and she starts to acknowledge that Morgan really is her friend and is looking out for her. Diesel knows that she belongs in the pack and he helps by being friendly with her and showing Naomi that Morgan is indeed a good person, not perfect, but definitely one who has her back. Through the course of the week, the two live together.
Morgan is a good support system for Naomi even if she doesn’t want to admit it. The two of them have a lot in common – they are entering highschool and the social pressure is on, also their parents have separated. For Naomi, their separation is very recent and she believes that her Dad can turn this around with her Mom. The teenage solution of doing something romantic to save the marriage made me chuckle and I enjoyed seeing how the advice unfolded.
Naomi is a loving sister to her aunt’s toddler. Morgan, having a younger sibling and a dog, gets along with Diesel and Lyanne very well. I loved that taking care of her cousin was not a chore for Naomi and brought the family closer. Her family’s socioeconomic situation might have a role to play but being happy about the caregiving made me like Naomi even more. She has dreams and knows she has to work hard for them and in this book, she learns the hard choice of prioritizing today over tomorrow. Small pleasures like buying a swimming suit reminded me of the tug of war between saving pocket money and spending it.
This is a fast paced good with a Groundhog Day set up. Diesel’s voice is exactly how I imagined my dogs and I loved being reminded of the companionship and unconditional love that dogs have to offer.
Many thanks to Dundurn Press for sending me an advanced copy of this book. It was a fun way to reminisce about my teenage years, summers in particular.
This review was first posted to my blog here. :) Have you read this book?
- Kriti, Armed with A Book | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
At the beginning, Naomi is struggling with her reality. She died but she is still alive and her dog is talking to her. She compares the life she is living to the one she has lived before and by being more present in the moment and receptive to the feelings of those around her, she is able to not only learn to do things for herself but also speak up.
Naomi’s friendship with Morgan reminded me of my own friendship with someone I knew a long time ago. Not all friendships are straightforward. Not all friends are the ones we imagine having. People are different and that’s a lesson we learn through teenage years in particular. Naomi, for some reason, always expects the worst of Morgan. I am not sure why that is and how she came to be so mistrustful of her friend, but the incident with Diesel and herself wakes her up and she starts to acknowledge that Morgan really is her friend and is looking out for her. Diesel knows that she belongs in the pack and he helps by being friendly with her and showing Naomi that Morgan is indeed a good person, not perfect, but definitely one who has her back. Through the course of the week, the two live together.
Morgan is a good support system for Naomi even if she doesn’t want to admit it. The two of them have a lot in common – they are entering highschool and the social pressure is on, also their parents have separated. For Naomi, their separation is very recent and she believes that her Dad can turn this around with her Mom. The teenage solution of doing something romantic to save the marriage made me chuckle and I enjoyed seeing how the advice unfolded.
Naomi is a loving sister to her aunt’s toddler. Morgan, having a younger sibling and a dog, gets along with Diesel and Lyanne very well. I loved that taking care of her cousin was not a chore for Naomi and brought the family closer. Her family’s socioeconomic situation might have a role to play but being happy about the caregiving made me like Naomi even more. She has dreams and knows she has to work hard for them and in this book, she learns the hard choice of prioritizing today over tomorrow. Small pleasures like buying a swimming suit reminded me of the tug of war between saving pocket money and spending it.
This is a fast paced good with a Groundhog Day set up. Diesel’s voice is exactly how I imagined my dogs and I loved being reminded of the companionship and unconditional love that dogs have to offer.
Many thanks to Dundurn Press for sending me an advanced copy of this book. It was a fun way to reminisce about my teenage years, summers in particular.
This review was first posted to my blog here. :) Have you read this book?
- Kriti, Armed with A Book | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
October 9, 2022
In generale, una lettura molto piacevole (a chi non piace la storia di un cane che salva
la sua famiglia?) e particolarmente scorrevole.
Peccato che, nonostante Naomi e Diesel debbano essere co-protagonisti della storia, essendo coloro
che salveranno la famiglia sia dalle tensioni tra i genitori che dalle ristrettezze economiche, ci sono
poche interazioni tra di loro e spesso e volentieri di poco conto. La vera alleata della protagonista è
in realtà Morgan, di cui fin dall’inizio sappiamo che Naomi non si fida completamente, ma al lettore
non viene mai spiegato il perché.
L’interesse amoroso della protagonista per Simon, se da un lato spinge Naomi ad uscire un po’ fuori
dal guscio ed è la spinta per iniziare a guardarsi allo specchio con occhi diversi, in realtà non viene
approfondito in nessun modo, anche perché è oggettivamente irrilevante per lo svolgimento della
storia. La domanda, quindi, è lecita: perché inserirlo?
In merito alla trama, scorre piuttosto fluida e non ho particolari annotazioni da fare, se non il fatto
che il soggetto della storia è visto e rivisto: sono già molti i libri con cani che “salvano” la propria
famiglia (Che bravo cane!, Storia di un cane che insegnò a un bambino la fedeltà, Il patto dei
labrador, ecc…), per non parlare dei libri con protagonisti che tornano sorprendentemente indietro
nel tempo per salvare la vita a qualcuno.
L’unica nota positiva è la maturità con cui la protagonista affronta le ristrettezze economiche della
famiglia, permettendo così che il lettore si affezioni e tifi per Naomi fino alla fine. Vediamo, infatti,
la ragazza rimboccarsi le maniche e fare la babysitter per la cuginetta, per guadagnare qualche
soldino extra, e proporre ai genitori di andare a vivere con la zia, per risparmiare sull’affitto.
la sua famiglia?) e particolarmente scorrevole.
Peccato che, nonostante Naomi e Diesel debbano essere co-protagonisti della storia, essendo coloro
che salveranno la famiglia sia dalle tensioni tra i genitori che dalle ristrettezze economiche, ci sono
poche interazioni tra di loro e spesso e volentieri di poco conto. La vera alleata della protagonista è
in realtà Morgan, di cui fin dall’inizio sappiamo che Naomi non si fida completamente, ma al lettore
non viene mai spiegato il perché.
L’interesse amoroso della protagonista per Simon, se da un lato spinge Naomi ad uscire un po’ fuori
dal guscio ed è la spinta per iniziare a guardarsi allo specchio con occhi diversi, in realtà non viene
approfondito in nessun modo, anche perché è oggettivamente irrilevante per lo svolgimento della
storia. La domanda, quindi, è lecita: perché inserirlo?
In merito alla trama, scorre piuttosto fluida e non ho particolari annotazioni da fare, se non il fatto
che il soggetto della storia è visto e rivisto: sono già molti i libri con cani che “salvano” la propria
famiglia (Che bravo cane!, Storia di un cane che insegnò a un bambino la fedeltà, Il patto dei
labrador, ecc…), per non parlare dei libri con protagonisti che tornano sorprendentemente indietro
nel tempo per salvare la vita a qualcuno.
L’unica nota positiva è la maturità con cui la protagonista affronta le ristrettezze economiche della
famiglia, permettendo così che il lettore si affezioni e tifi per Naomi fino alla fine. Vediamo, infatti,
la ragazza rimboccarsi le maniche e fare la babysitter per la cuginetta, per guadagnare qualche
soldino extra, e proporre ai genitori di andare a vivere con la zia, per risparmiare sull’affitto.
March 31, 2022
It is summer and Naomi will be entering high school in the autumn. It should be an exciting time except, her dad recently lost his job, her folks have split up and her beloved dog, Diesel was killed in a hit and run. She is babysitting her sweet niece Luanne and putting aside every penny for a university as she knows her folks cannot help her financially. Naomi has a nonfriend/friend Morgan in her neighborhood, but Naomi doesn't really trust her or think Morgan likes her. Still, Naomi goes to the lake with Morgan for a free ice cream and the chance to see a boy she likes. Unfortunately, Naomi lets herself be dared into jumping off the dock and drowns. Or does she? Naomi wakes up in her backyard with a living Diesel right by her side. Naomi can now hear Diesel's thoughts in her head and Diesel tells her they have a second chance at life and it is now nearly a week before her drowning. Naomi learns and grows in the days that follow and does all she can to bring her family together and keep Diesel alive and Diesel tries to protect his "pack." This is a thoughtful story, and the friendship becomes real between Naomi and Morgan as they discover more about each other. Naomi is a sympathetic character and Diesel is delightful and readers will want them both to find a way out of their predicament. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 9, 2022
🐕Diesel is a star😍
What an imaginative tale of a girl at an awkward stage in her adolescence and her best pal, an Australian cattle dog named Diesel. Somehow they get a do-over week to avoid tragedy and the breakup of Naomi's family. Naomi can understand what Diesel is thinking and his joy in every day is both humorous and inspiring.
Some favorite scenes that made me laugh out loud include recovery after a special skunk encounter and meatballs at the dinner table. But his reactions in all situations were entertaining.
Naomi is quite a serious young girl, intimidated by the in-crowd from school, worried about the family finances and her parents' recent separation, and devastated by the death of her faithful pet. This is a very relatable character with real life issues who I think kids will identify with.
A really entertaining read with some important life issues.
What an imaginative tale of a girl at an awkward stage in her adolescence and her best pal, an Australian cattle dog named Diesel. Somehow they get a do-over week to avoid tragedy and the breakup of Naomi's family. Naomi can understand what Diesel is thinking and his joy in every day is both humorous and inspiring.
Some favorite scenes that made me laugh out loud include recovery after a special skunk encounter and meatballs at the dinner table. But his reactions in all situations were entertaining.
Naomi is quite a serious young girl, intimidated by the in-crowd from school, worried about the family finances and her parents' recent separation, and devastated by the death of her faithful pet. This is a very relatable character with real life issues who I think kids will identify with.
A really entertaining read with some important life issues.
April 24, 2022
This book is about Naomi who has just recently lost her dog—but can Diesel come back?
What the dog knows felt like the show Russian doll only for kids and it was an okay book. Naomi gets a chance to make things right, and maybe her dog gets to live?
As an animal lover, I thought this would be the perfect book for me, but it didn’t quite catch my attention, but at the same time, I’m not the target audience for this book. So I’m going to admit I mostly skimmed through this. It does get a solid 3.2/5 stars.. But I’d recommend this to young readers, I’d say from between 10-12+, and animal lovers.
Happy reading!♥️
I got this book for free from netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
What the dog knows felt like the show Russian doll only for kids and it was an okay book. Naomi gets a chance to make things right, and maybe her dog gets to live?
As an animal lover, I thought this would be the perfect book for me, but it didn’t quite catch my attention, but at the same time, I’m not the target audience for this book. So I’m going to admit I mostly skimmed through this. It does get a solid 3.2/5 stars.. But I’d recommend this to young readers, I’d say from between 10-12+, and animal lovers.
Happy reading!♥️
I got this book for free from netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
April 29, 2022
I read this as a Goodreads Giveaway, and I look forward to sharing it with my middle grade students.
I really enjoyed this story from start to finish- and it had me curious what would happen! I LOVED the voice of Diesal in her head, and I really enjoyed the friendship between Naomi and Morgan. Some real-life teenage issues in this one, and I think many readers will find themes in here to relate to!
My only critique is I would have liked the end scene (4:30 on Canada day!) to be longer… the whole book built up to that time, and I LOVED it, but wish it went into a bit more detail & lasted longer. I felt the end finished with that bang of a climatic ending- but it was just a bit rushed.
Overall- great story, and will happily recommend it to my students!
I really enjoyed this story from start to finish- and it had me curious what would happen! I LOVED the voice of Diesal in her head, and I really enjoyed the friendship between Naomi and Morgan. Some real-life teenage issues in this one, and I think many readers will find themes in here to relate to!
My only critique is I would have liked the end scene (4:30 on Canada day!) to be longer… the whole book built up to that time, and I LOVED it, but wish it went into a bit more detail & lasted longer. I felt the end finished with that bang of a climatic ending- but it was just a bit rushed.
Overall- great story, and will happily recommend it to my students!
June 5, 2024
Grieving her recently deceased dog, Naomi caves to peer pressure to join her friends in the lake, in spite of the fact that she doesn’t know how to swim.
Random notes:
Diesel runned over by smart car June 25
Almost drowning Canada day July 1
Go back in time, her watch is waterlogged and in July 1 date
Wakes up in backyard June 25 with dog licking her, hearing his words in her head, and it’s June 25 again
Guy she has a crush on Plays frisbee at park with diesel
Almost gets his by smart car in park parking lot
Aged weiner is more flavorful
Crying reading a dog’s purpose
Diesel farts on Naomi while sitting on her lap in car ride over to dad’s place
Skunk
Back to school bathing suits
Ending quite good, not what you think might happen, almost too happy.
Random notes:
Diesel runned over by smart car June 25
Almost drowning Canada day July 1
Go back in time, her watch is waterlogged and in July 1 date
Wakes up in backyard June 25 with dog licking her, hearing his words in her head, and it’s June 25 again
Guy she has a crush on Plays frisbee at park with diesel
Almost gets his by smart car in park parking lot
Aged weiner is more flavorful
Crying reading a dog’s purpose
Diesel farts on Naomi while sitting on her lap in car ride over to dad’s place
Skunk
Back to school bathing suits
Ending quite good, not what you think might happen, almost too happy.
June 5, 2022
This was such a cute book. It brought back so many memories of reading Sylvia McNicoll’s books as a kid. I loved her then and I apparently still love her now. I’m so glad that the middle grade age still has her and her dog stories to rely on. I loved the magical realist element of Diesel speaking to Naomi and helping her through some difficult coming of age moments in her life. I wish we all had a Diesel in our lives.
Thanks to Dundurn Press for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
Thanks to Dundurn Press for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
July 14, 2022
I really enjoyed this groundhog-day do-over middle grade novel by author Sylvia McNicoll.
What the Dog Knows is a book that will make you realize how important dogs are to us. Diesel is such a good dog, and having Naomi be able to read his mind was such a fun twist. But even with this fantasy bit, this novel is grounded in Naomi's everyday life and experiences, and shines as a clever coming of age middle grade novel.
What the Dog Knows is a book that will make you realize how important dogs are to us. Diesel is such a good dog, and having Naomi be able to read his mind was such a fun twist. But even with this fantasy bit, this novel is grounded in Naomi's everyday life and experiences, and shines as a clever coming of age middle grade novel.
September 26, 2022
What if you could do a do-over and change the trajectory of your life? This book suggests that you can change your life - by doing one thing. What Naomi learns to do with the help of her dog, is to trust. She learns the importance of trust and that trusting the people in your life can be life-changing. This is an engaging read and perfect for young readers.
July 20, 2022
Good story about a young girl and her dog. Really added to my enjoyment that it's set in the city where I live.
November 6, 2023
This was decent! It was a fun read, not too heavy but with enough substance that it felt realistic (for what it is). I liked Morgan a lot more than Naomi as a character, but I understand where her hangups come from and her disbelief of the situation. It was a good vibe, definitely a nice middle grade.
December 5, 2022
Loved, loved this book.
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