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Guinea Dog #1
Guinea Dog
Rufus has been dreaming of getting a dog. His best friend has one. His worst friend has one. But his dad has a few They whine. They gnaw. They bark. They scratch. They beg. They drool. Rufus pays no attention when his mom offers her think-outside-the-box suggestion, because she can't be serious. She can't be. She can be. And she actually comes home with a guinea pig. And if Rufus's dad thinks dogs are a problem, he won't know what hit him when he meets the Guinea Pig That Thinks She's a Dog. She barks. She bites. She'll eat your homework.
183 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 284 reviews
August 5, 2021
This book is....frustrating.
It's not bad, it's not great, but it has some serious issues.
I'm a guinea pig owner and a school librarian, I was curious to see if this book was good enough to work with for a project or anything, but the terrible physical treatment of the guinea pig ruins it. She gets tossed around, ignored, and shoved in backpacks for hours at a time with no food or water.
Even the way the book treats it as a "good" thing when the guinea pig acts like a dog rubs me the wrong way. I feel like that's going to set some unrealistic expectations for kids. Guinea pigs are a challenging pet that are rewarding for their unique characteristics. They are nothing like dogs, should not be treated like dogs, and shouldn't be expected to act like dogs! Even though the book establishes that Fido the guinea pig is weird for acting like a dog, it doesn't make it clear that much of what she does is literally physically impossible. Or that other events would kill a real guinea pig if they happened in real life! Fiction is fiction and this book isn't worth censoring, but I feel like I'd be tempted to add a million "don't try this at home" stickers to random paragraphs in this book if I had it in my library. So I probably won't add it any time soon.
If this book makes a kid ask for a guinea pig, but then it doesn't act like a dog, I worry a kid might be disappointed and end up neglecting it. Soooo many end up in shelters because parents buy them for kids as a dog replacement, but they lose interest and then the parent gets stuck cleaning up after it! Parents, either get your child the dog, or don't. Small animal substitutions never work out. I say this as someone that had a guinea pig-themed wedding with my guinea pig-obsessed partner. Don't get children guinea pigs unless they are ready and willing to take care of them, and you're ready and willing to step up if they don't.
The writing is fine, the characters are a little annoying but fine. Well, except for the dad. He needs serious therapy. The main character makes some personal growth and some moral lessons are spelled out directly. But there's some bad behavior with pet treatment that a child might replicate without knowing better.
It's not bad, it's not great, but it has some serious issues.
I'm a guinea pig owner and a school librarian, I was curious to see if this book was good enough to work with for a project or anything, but the terrible physical treatment of the guinea pig ruins it. She gets tossed around, ignored, and shoved in backpacks for hours at a time with no food or water.
Even the way the book treats it as a "good" thing when the guinea pig acts like a dog rubs me the wrong way. I feel like that's going to set some unrealistic expectations for kids. Guinea pigs are a challenging pet that are rewarding for their unique characteristics. They are nothing like dogs, should not be treated like dogs, and shouldn't be expected to act like dogs! Even though the book establishes that Fido the guinea pig is weird for acting like a dog, it doesn't make it clear that much of what she does is literally physically impossible. Or that other events would kill a real guinea pig if they happened in real life! Fiction is fiction and this book isn't worth censoring, but I feel like I'd be tempted to add a million "don't try this at home" stickers to random paragraphs in this book if I had it in my library. So I probably won't add it any time soon.
If this book makes a kid ask for a guinea pig, but then it doesn't act like a dog, I worry a kid might be disappointed and end up neglecting it. Soooo many end up in shelters because parents buy them for kids as a dog replacement, but they lose interest and then the parent gets stuck cleaning up after it! Parents, either get your child the dog, or don't. Small animal substitutions never work out. I say this as someone that had a guinea pig-themed wedding with my guinea pig-obsessed partner. Don't get children guinea pigs unless they are ready and willing to take care of them, and you're ready and willing to step up if they don't.
The writing is fine, the characters are a little annoying but fine. Well, except for the dad. He needs serious therapy. The main character makes some personal growth and some moral lessons are spelled out directly. But there's some bad behavior with pet treatment that a child might replicate without knowing better.
May 9, 2010
Right over here! Look this way! Over here! TWEET! You looking? Yeah, so right over we've got ourselves a Patrick Jennings fan. Yup. Patrick Jennings. The guy who wrote that fantastic We Can't All Be Rattlesnakes, along with approximately a hundred other books. You've read him, right? No? Well that's fine with me. It's like when you discover this cool underground band, and you get to be their biggest fan all by yourself. It's great. You walk around with this knowledge in your head of, "I am into something incredible that only I know about." That's how it is with Patrick Jennings and me. Problem is, I keep recommending his books to the kids in my library. And if I keep this up, I may end up unexpectedly creating a whole host of Jennings fans. Then he'll get hugely popular and go mainstream and I'll have to share him with the rest of the world. After all, he's a fantastic author who writes primarily animal books (not many folks do that these days, y'know) and who's latest title Guinea Dog is just about the most fun you can get out of a book about a guinea pig with ambitions.
"My dream of a dog died then and there. Instead, I was the proud owner/caretaker of a plump, punk guinea sow. Like, yippee." Rufus is a pretty easy guy to figure out. He wants a dog. A dog is all his wants, in fact. His father, unfortunately, is dead set against this idea, and what Rufus's dad says goes. That is, until the day Rufus's mom brings home a guinea pig as a kind of compromise. Rufus is not impressed, nor is his dad, but this guinea pig, dubbed Fido, is hardly normal. She pants. She fetches. She plays dead on command. And ever so slowly, while dealing with some best friend issues at school, Rufus starts to see the advantages to having a pet that isn't exactly like everyone else's.
Now the dialogue in this book is nothing short of divine. Snarky kids are not easy to write. Not so as they sound like real kids anyway. And Jennings has created a particularly smart alecky type of kid. Fortunately he's old enough to believably come up with the lines put in his mouth. Some of my favorites include the moment when Fido starts making too much noise and Rufus's dad asks what the racket is. "I pointed at Fido. `Why, it's the quiet, clean pet Mom bought me'." I like that Jennings feels no need to telegraph that line by inserting an "I said sarcastically". He shows, and doesn't tell, this author. In terms of descriptions Rufus says of himself that he has, "a neck that could stop growing any time without any complaint from me." He says of his father, "That's what Dad can do to you. He can make you forget you have a chubby rat in a sack on your back." And he later mentions that since he's a better staller than a liar, "Maybe one day I'll write my own book: The Complete Dork's Guide to Hemming and Hawing."
It's interesting to see where Jennings puts his point of view in his stories. In the aforementioned We Can't All Be Rattlesnakes the hero of the book was Crusher, a snake. She was inclined to view the world with a particularly snakey take. Guinea Dog, in contrast, is entirely from Rufus (the boy's) point of view. The guinea pig is left as a kind of a mysterious entity. Her thoughts are her own, hidden from human understanding. Jennings also isn't afraid of creating female animals in his books. The heroine of We Can't All Be Rattlesnakes was a lady snake. In this book Fido is a female guinea pig (dog). I'm sure you could make all kinds of interesting psychological interpretations of what a boy/female pet pairing really means, but all I care is that we're getting some strong girl characters in our kids' books. Even if those girls do happen to be covered in scales and fur.
The little details are what I like best of all, though. We have finally gotten to the point in children's literature where parents have jobs like editing golf online magazines from home. So that was a realistic, not to say contemporary, detail that I appreciated. I also loved that Rufus's hobby was collecting Scrabble tiles.
Not that there weren't a couple moments that didn't entirely gel with the rest of the book. For example, there was a time when I was confused about Rufus's devotion to his new pet. One minute he's dead set against having Fido adopted by a girl in his class. Next minute he's saying, "I didn't want them - especially Mom - to have any extra reasons to want to keep her [the guinea pig:]." It didn't happen very often, but once in a while I was confused.
The book would actually pair bee-autifully with Wishworks Inc. by Stephanie Tolan. In that early chapter book too a boy wants a beautiful, strong, independent dog of his own... and ends up with an unexpected pet instead. At least you can say that Rufus got himself a better behaved breed of dog-wannabe. And since 2010 is the year for good guinea pig-related literature, you might also pair it with Hamster and Cheese by Colleen AF Venable. That female guinea pig has more of a bedhead hairdo, however, while Fido's hair is described as having a punk rock look.
Guinea Dog does not contain a big story arc, all things considered. That is fine. Not every book has to include an epic quest or enormous fights between characters. Jennings thinks that we'll be content with this tale of a boy trying to understand both his best friend and his new pet, and he's right. We really are content with that. We're content because the writing is strong, the characters a lot of fun, and the story just plain enjoyable. You don't need to be a fan of guinea pigs to enjoy this book. Heck, you don't need to be a fan of dogs either for that matter. All you need to be a fan of is fun books for kids. Books that everyone can enjoy. Consider this a great readaloud for classes, or for kids who are comfortable with chapter book but are scared of 200+ page tomes. There's a little bit of something everyone can enjoy in this newest Jennings number.
Ages 7-11
"My dream of a dog died then and there. Instead, I was the proud owner/caretaker of a plump, punk guinea sow. Like, yippee." Rufus is a pretty easy guy to figure out. He wants a dog. A dog is all his wants, in fact. His father, unfortunately, is dead set against this idea, and what Rufus's dad says goes. That is, until the day Rufus's mom brings home a guinea pig as a kind of compromise. Rufus is not impressed, nor is his dad, but this guinea pig, dubbed Fido, is hardly normal. She pants. She fetches. She plays dead on command. And ever so slowly, while dealing with some best friend issues at school, Rufus starts to see the advantages to having a pet that isn't exactly like everyone else's.
Now the dialogue in this book is nothing short of divine. Snarky kids are not easy to write. Not so as they sound like real kids anyway. And Jennings has created a particularly smart alecky type of kid. Fortunately he's old enough to believably come up with the lines put in his mouth. Some of my favorites include the moment when Fido starts making too much noise and Rufus's dad asks what the racket is. "I pointed at Fido. `Why, it's the quiet, clean pet Mom bought me'." I like that Jennings feels no need to telegraph that line by inserting an "I said sarcastically". He shows, and doesn't tell, this author. In terms of descriptions Rufus says of himself that he has, "a neck that could stop growing any time without any complaint from me." He says of his father, "That's what Dad can do to you. He can make you forget you have a chubby rat in a sack on your back." And he later mentions that since he's a better staller than a liar, "Maybe one day I'll write my own book: The Complete Dork's Guide to Hemming and Hawing."
It's interesting to see where Jennings puts his point of view in his stories. In the aforementioned We Can't All Be Rattlesnakes the hero of the book was Crusher, a snake. She was inclined to view the world with a particularly snakey take. Guinea Dog, in contrast, is entirely from Rufus (the boy's) point of view. The guinea pig is left as a kind of a mysterious entity. Her thoughts are her own, hidden from human understanding. Jennings also isn't afraid of creating female animals in his books. The heroine of We Can't All Be Rattlesnakes was a lady snake. In this book Fido is a female guinea pig (dog). I'm sure you could make all kinds of interesting psychological interpretations of what a boy/female pet pairing really means, but all I care is that we're getting some strong girl characters in our kids' books. Even if those girls do happen to be covered in scales and fur.
The little details are what I like best of all, though. We have finally gotten to the point in children's literature where parents have jobs like editing golf online magazines from home. So that was a realistic, not to say contemporary, detail that I appreciated. I also loved that Rufus's hobby was collecting Scrabble tiles.
Not that there weren't a couple moments that didn't entirely gel with the rest of the book. For example, there was a time when I was confused about Rufus's devotion to his new pet. One minute he's dead set against having Fido adopted by a girl in his class. Next minute he's saying, "I didn't want them - especially Mom - to have any extra reasons to want to keep her [the guinea pig:]." It didn't happen very often, but once in a while I was confused.
The book would actually pair bee-autifully with Wishworks Inc. by Stephanie Tolan. In that early chapter book too a boy wants a beautiful, strong, independent dog of his own... and ends up with an unexpected pet instead. At least you can say that Rufus got himself a better behaved breed of dog-wannabe. And since 2010 is the year for good guinea pig-related literature, you might also pair it with Hamster and Cheese by Colleen AF Venable. That female guinea pig has more of a bedhead hairdo, however, while Fido's hair is described as having a punk rock look.
Guinea Dog does not contain a big story arc, all things considered. That is fine. Not every book has to include an epic quest or enormous fights between characters. Jennings thinks that we'll be content with this tale of a boy trying to understand both his best friend and his new pet, and he's right. We really are content with that. We're content because the writing is strong, the characters a lot of fun, and the story just plain enjoyable. You don't need to be a fan of guinea pigs to enjoy this book. Heck, you don't need to be a fan of dogs either for that matter. All you need to be a fan of is fun books for kids. Books that everyone can enjoy. Consider this a great readaloud for classes, or for kids who are comfortable with chapter book but are scared of 200+ page tomes. There's a little bit of something everyone can enjoy in this newest Jennings number.
Ages 7-11
June 1, 2021
I… uh… dont ask…
March 6, 2021
I wanted to like this book. In the beginning the narrator's observations are pretty funny and it has the usual kid's perspective that adults are nuts.
As the book goes on, it shows some truly unacceptable behavior as normal. The main character repeatedly puts his guinea pig in his backpack (just a normal one, no modifications to allow fresh air in) for hours without food or water. He admits the animal pees and poops in the bag but never washes it and never thinks, gee, it might not be good for an animal to be in a small enclosed space covered in feces without food, water or fresh air for hours. There's one scene where the boy "tosses" the bag with the guinea pig in it three times! Would any of us read a book where a puppy was treated this way?
I realize that the author's depictions of the father menacing his son at the doorway after school are probably meant to be over the top to show the child's perspective, but both the child and the mother cower when the father enters a room. They hide their personalities and give in to the father's wishes. The father dismisses the mother's opinions and treats her as a silly woman.
The mother does poke fun at the father's grumpiness and tells the son to make allowances because the father is stressed. That would be fine, normal even, if she and the son didn't appear scared to upset the father. The mother repeatedly tries to placate the father like a person in an emotionally abusive relationship.
My last criticism is what made me give up on the book 65% through. Out of no where the author starts giving the main character inner monologues full of the wonder of life and the importance of not judging anyone by their exterior. There's no gradual growth in the character, he is just suddenly rhapsodizing over cliches. The tone of the inner monologue switches entirely as if Rufus were taken over by an alien that thinks like an after school special from the 80s. Zero subtlety.
As the book goes on, it shows some truly unacceptable behavior as normal. The main character repeatedly puts his guinea pig in his backpack (just a normal one, no modifications to allow fresh air in) for hours without food or water. He admits the animal pees and poops in the bag but never washes it and never thinks, gee, it might not be good for an animal to be in a small enclosed space covered in feces without food, water or fresh air for hours. There's one scene where the boy "tosses" the bag with the guinea pig in it three times! Would any of us read a book where a puppy was treated this way?
I realize that the author's depictions of the father menacing his son at the doorway after school are probably meant to be over the top to show the child's perspective, but both the child and the mother cower when the father enters a room. They hide their personalities and give in to the father's wishes. The father dismisses the mother's opinions and treats her as a silly woman.
The mother does poke fun at the father's grumpiness and tells the son to make allowances because the father is stressed. That would be fine, normal even, if she and the son didn't appear scared to upset the father. The mother repeatedly tries to placate the father like a person in an emotionally abusive relationship.
My last criticism is what made me give up on the book 65% through. Out of no where the author starts giving the main character inner monologues full of the wonder of life and the importance of not judging anyone by their exterior. There's no gradual growth in the character, he is just suddenly rhapsodizing over cliches. The tone of the inner monologue switches entirely as if Rufus were taken over by an alien that thinks like an after school special from the 80s. Zero subtlety.
August 18, 2012
I enjoyed this title. It will make a good read read aloud. I was excited to see that this is the same author that wrote We Can't All Be Rattlesnakes which was a hilarious title! Guinea Dog is about the theme of a child wanting a dog as a pet and the parent saying NO. I personally have been there and understand the intense desire to get a dog to love and play with. Like Rufus, my dad said absolutely not! This was a wonderful fantasy about what happens if the boy gets a guinea pig that does exactly what a dog would do. This one did not live up to the same level as We Can't All Be Rattlesnakes but it will be fun for kids in grades 3-5.
I would not be surprised to find this one winning the WAW award for KS this year.
RECOMMEND
I would not be surprised to find this one winning the WAW award for KS this year.
RECOMMEND
November 1, 2010
i expected a story about a boy and his "dog". it was less about that and more about ... differences? i guess so. there was that lesson of you have to look on the inside instead of judging things by the outside, so that was good. i think there wasn't enough story about the title and main topic of the book. it is possible that there wouldn't be much of a story if they stuck to that though. what i did not like was the lack of respect often through the book. i understand kids being hard on their parents and their looks and all, but i think that was taken a little too far. i mean, the kid punched his mom in the arm once! on the other side, towards the end of the book, the dad fussed at the boy about his tone of voice. i don't know. it wasn't as good as i expected, but it wasn't a bad book either.
January 11, 2012
Delightful book about a boy named Rufus who wants a dog desperately. When his mom buys him a guinea pig instead, he is deeply disappointed and wants to return the animal. Fido, the guinea pig, starts acting so much like a dog, though, Rufus gives him a chance. Envy of a friend--from his dog to his normal house & normal family--is a theme that many kids will relate to.
August 22, 2020
Listened to this on a road trip with the whole family and we all really enjoyed it! Many laugh out loud moments and teaches good lessons. We thought it was especially funny because the dad and son in the story act a lot like the dad and son in our family. 😄 My nine year old daughter is already asking about the next book in the series.
April 3, 2019
I was forced to read this for children's lit. Two thumbs down. The writing was annoying, the vocabulary more so, the characterization unbelievable (the boy's parents are completely neurotic), and the plot dragged. I disliked the unexplained dog-like behavior of the guinea pig. The vocabulary never went above "dumb" and "dork," and the general tone and quality of the writing had me rolling my eyes (especially the terribly obvious first-person description bit). Why in the world are there MORE of these?!
I understand the point of the book — of course, tons of kids want a pet and can't have one, and have to deal with all the stress of sixth grade, but there are better books that deal with these themes. Try Beverly Cleary.
I understand the point of the book — of course, tons of kids want a pet and can't have one, and have to deal with all the stress of sixth grade, but there are better books that deal with these themes. Try Beverly Cleary.
August 19, 2018
Rufus, who really, really wants a dog, is given a guinea pig instead.
This is an adorable book. Rufus is a realistic kid with realistic problems but also a kid I would have hung out with (assuming he got over his fear of being seen with a girl). Fido, the rotund guinea pig with a white mohawk, thinks she's a dog. She chases frisbees, buries rawhides, and 'barks'. I'm a guinea pig fan so this book played right into some sweet spots. There's a moral to the story but it doesn't beat you over the head, laughs throughout, and a sweet ending. I'll be reading the sequel.
This is an adorable book. Rufus is a realistic kid with realistic problems but also a kid I would have hung out with (assuming he got over his fear of being seen with a girl). Fido, the rotund guinea pig with a white mohawk, thinks she's a dog. She chases frisbees, buries rawhides, and 'barks'. I'm a guinea pig fan so this book played right into some sweet spots. There's a moral to the story but it doesn't beat you over the head, laughs throughout, and a sweet ending. I'll be reading the sequel.
March 28, 2024
Read this book for my children’s literature class— and it’s bad. Why the Guinea pig acts like a dog is never explained, which is frustrating and odd. The biggest problem with this book however is the Dad. I get that his character is supposed to be weird and obsessive and demanding, but the way Rufus and his mom cower from him doesn’t sit well with me. It feels abusive, and he shuts down his wife and son at every opportunity. I just worry that this portrayal of the dad character is a little much for the elementary-aged audience this book is geared towards. I don’t know, this book just didn’t sit well with me as a children’s book, and I thought it was just kind of boring. I know I wouldn’t have liked this book as a kid either.
November 10, 2020
My kids LOVED it. Definitely entertaining.
July 5, 2021
yeah yeah yeah you know the drill, dont ask.
June 20, 2021
Our girls chuckled their way through this - we listened to it on audio on a short road trip. It's clever and funny - enough to make the adults laugh as well.
January 28, 2016
I really enjoyed Patrick Jenning's Guinea Dog more than I thought I would. I normally wouldn't have read this since it looked like a fluff read about a flurry fur ball. But it's more than that. It's perfect for kids 7 and up because the character goes through things lots of kids that age (range) go through. Jennings perfectly captured the thoughts running through a kid's head. It's funny and somehow deep at the same time as the main character tries to figure out who he is in terms of his family, his friends, his classmates, and his pet who isn't a dog but acts like one.
I ended up reading the holiday short story (only available online) "A Very Merry Guinea Dog" as well. A cute addition to the series in which there are two other novels.
We were fortunate enough to have Patrick Jennings come to our Family Book Club. There was a young boy who was a super fan of Patrick Jennings and in his own terms a "pro-reader!" The boy also had great story ideas and it was great to see an author encourage that and even share some advice. I hope they stay in touch! I love being a bookseller!
I ended up reading the holiday short story (only available online) "A Very Merry Guinea Dog" as well. A cute addition to the series in which there are two other novels.
We were fortunate enough to have Patrick Jennings come to our Family Book Club. There was a young boy who was a super fan of Patrick Jennings and in his own terms a "pro-reader!" The boy also had great story ideas and it was great to see an author encourage that and even share some advice. I hope they stay in touch! I love being a bookseller!
February 4, 2012
I read this because it is up for the Colorado Children's Book Award, CCBA, and I wanted to be able to recommend it or not to my library students. I think children will enjoy it, although it isn't my favorite children's book. I would recommend many others before this. However, it does tell a humorous tale of a boy and his pet guinea pig. Jennings does a nice job of making a guinea pig acting like a dog somewhat believable, and creates fun instances between the boy and his pet. It gets a little "preachy" by the end; the lesson is much to obvious, but getting this into the right readers' hands will make someone happy.
October 29, 2012
Fifth-grader Rufus desperately wants a dog, but his dad has a mile long lists of reasons why his family will never get one. That doesn't stop Rufus from asking and hoping, though. Then one day, his mom brings a pet home for him--a guinea pig! Rufus is disappointed and embarrassed, and hopes that it will annoy his dad enough for him to take Fido back to the pet store. What will happen when the pet store seems to have disappeared and Fido starts acting like a dog? This book is fun and funny. Many kids can relate to either the premise of the plot, or one of the characters. It's good for middle graders and up, and even adults will find it humorous.
February 9, 2015
A fun animal story about ten-year-old Rufus (yes, that's the boy's name, not his pet) and Fido, the guinea pig that he receives instead of the dog he really wants. How embarrassing, will Rufus be able to keep Fido a secret from his classmates and friends? Even better, is there a way to return him to get the dog he really wants?
Rufus and Fido are quite an interesting pair, but Rufus's parents who could be interpreted as a couple of odd ducks, might be even more interesting.
Rufus and Fido are quite an interesting pair, but Rufus's parents who could be interpreted as a couple of odd ducks, might be even more interesting.
October 3, 2016
Rufus, a boy in 5th grade wants to get a dog because he loves dogs. His dad does not like dogs at all so Rufus's mom gets him a guinea pig at Petopia. No one knows that the guinea pig named Fido acts like a dog except Rufus. Will Rufus keep Fido or keep begging to his dad that he wants a dog. My favorite part is when Rufus taught Fido to take out and put in CDs to the CD player and bring them back. I recommend this book to people who like action and people who like dogs.
June 25, 2013
Boy who really wants a dog receives a guinea pig that acts like a dog instead. Sounds amusing, but I didn't love it. None of the characters felt authentic to me, particularly Dimitri and Lurena. Also, the author writes the way kids talk, so there's some incorrect grammar. An ok book, but I'm going to pass on it for my library book club at this time.
October 19, 2013
Extremely funny kids chapter book - enjoyable for both kids and adults.
"'Copy that' was my new favorite way of saying 'okay,' replacing, 'Gotcha, chief,' which Dad recently made me stop saying."
'How'd your hamster die?' I asked.
'Natural causes.'
'Like lightning or something?'"
June 7, 2010
Cute. Cute. Cute. I had a guinea pig in middle school--too bad he was nothing like Fido, the "Guinea Dog."
Guinea Dog is the perfect read aloud. I will recommend it to the third grade team in August.
Interest level: Grades 3-6
Guinea Dog is the perfect read aloud. I will recommend it to the third grade team in August.
Interest level: Grades 3-6
February 5, 2014
I really like how, at the beginning, when Fido acts like a dog, the main character hates it, showing that he really was just playing up a dog in his mind. BOTB
April 19, 2016
Awesome it took me three years to even get me to read that book
December 15, 2017
Have you ever judged a book by its cover? In the story “Guinea Dog” by Patrick Jennings is about when a boy named Rufus wants a doggie. The father of Rufus stays at home but also works from home,declined getting a dog. He says “they are filthy and smelly Rufus” and he has a huge list of reasons why Rufus can't have a dog. The mother of Rufus feels bad for Rufus since he has always wanted a dog and surprises him one day with a guinea pig instead though. The guinea pig, who Rufus names Fido, surprises everyone. The guinea pig ends up acting more like a dog, then a guinea pig! How do you think this makes dad feel when she bites, begs and even barks? Will Rufus actually accept and love Fido since he has always wanted a dog to snuggle and play fetch with, or will he trade his best friend Murph Fido for Murph’s dog Buddy. Read the book and find out.
The characters are Rufus the boy, Fido the guinea pig, and Rufus’s mother and father. I believe the genre is fiction. I think this book was well written. In the beginning, it is really interesting, because we get introduced the characters and what they're like. You also get introduced later in the book to Murph, Rufus’ best friend. I personally am not able to identify with an of the characters, setting, or plot of this story. The theme of this book was the boring don’t judge a book by it’s cover. The setting of the story is at Rufus’ family’s house. I thought the book was slightly boring, until the part where the guinea pig starts doing dog things. But they went with a totally uninteresting, and overall lazy option, where Rufus ends up keeping the guinea pig. The whole book seems to be leading up to this choice, and it turns out to be unsatisfying to say the least.
If I were to rate this book, I would rate it, 2 stars out of 5 stars.
I would recommend this book to fiction readers, or people who don't know what to read. It’s a pretty easy read with words that aren't to hard to pronounce, so the reader can't get lost.
July 14, 2021
No. No. No. We did this as an audiobook with our kids on a road trip. Kids are 7 and 9 years old. My husband and I previewed the first 3 or 4 minutes of the book in advance, and we thought it had a fun premise and some bits our kids would laugh at and a non-annoying narrator voice. By the time we were about 30 minutes into the story, I was counting down the minutes to when this book would end (it's 3 hours, btw).
Aside from the ridiculousness of the plotting, flat characterization, and lack of strong story arc (which other one- and two-star reviewers have noted), my biggest issue was with what was being accepted as okay in this book. Lying is okay. Disrespecting parents is okay. Being fully discontent with one's family is okay. Exasperating your children is okay. Sure, sure, at times the kid says he knows he shouldn't do the things he's doing (great), but then he does them anyway (not great) with zero consequence. I think, for example, of the gratuitous lying Rufus does when he claims that he is the one who trained Fido--a claim he makes not once, but TWICE. Both times he acknowledges that he shouldn't lie and didn't always know why he did lie. But then he goes ahead and lies anyway. And then he's never found out. It's all smooth sailing for this little liar. This is just one small example of the thinking and actions in this book that caused me to keep pausing the audiobook and saying things like, "Don't lie." "Don't say 'butt.'" "Hybrid cars are not for losers." "Having a dad who works from home is completely normal." "Don't sneak out of where you're supposed to be" (a school building in Rufus's case). "Honor your father and your mother." "Don't skip telling your mother 'Thanks' because you're afraid she might have feelings." ...and so forth. Rufus's entire worldview and moral compass are not things I want him sharing with my kids.
On top of all of this, having an extremely normal and common pet (guinea pig) is not okay. WHAT?!
Aside from the ridiculousness of the plotting, flat characterization, and lack of strong story arc (which other one- and two-star reviewers have noted), my biggest issue was with what was being accepted as okay in this book. Lying is okay. Disrespecting parents is okay. Being fully discontent with one's family is okay. Exasperating your children is okay. Sure, sure, at times the kid says he knows he shouldn't do the things he's doing (great), but then he does them anyway (not great) with zero consequence. I think, for example, of the gratuitous lying Rufus does when he claims that he is the one who trained Fido--a claim he makes not once, but TWICE. Both times he acknowledges that he shouldn't lie and didn't always know why he did lie. But then he goes ahead and lies anyway. And then he's never found out. It's all smooth sailing for this little liar. This is just one small example of the thinking and actions in this book that caused me to keep pausing the audiobook and saying things like, "Don't lie." "Don't say 'butt.'" "Hybrid cars are not for losers." "Having a dad who works from home is completely normal." "Don't sneak out of where you're supposed to be" (a school building in Rufus's case). "Honor your father and your mother." "Don't skip telling your mother 'Thanks' because you're afraid she might have feelings." ...and so forth. Rufus's entire worldview and moral compass are not things I want him sharing with my kids.
On top of all of this, having an extremely normal and common pet (guinea pig) is not okay. WHAT?!
October 23, 2020
5 stars from Miss 5. She loves the Guinea Dog series so much that she listened to all three books sequentially by audiobook and was fascinated by them. She loves the idea of a guinea pig that thinks she's a dog and would pause the books so she could excitedly talk about them with me. The books also inspired her to switch from bunnies to guinea pigs on our petting farm visits so she can be a guinea pig mummy with a lapful of guinea pigs.
Miss 6 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.
Miss 6 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.
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April 27, 2020Rufus wants a dog more than anything. But his Dad, who just started telecommuting from home for his job, thinks dogs are smelly, annoying, and need to be walked all the time, and he refuses to let Rufus get a dog. Rufus' Mom makes a bold compromising move and brings home a pet Guinea Pig for Rufus, since they don't have to be walked and can bathe themselves. But there is no way Rufus will settle for a pet Guinea Pig, even if she does like to play fetch with Rufus. It's just not the same, even if she manages to follow him to school somehow. What kind of crazy Guinea Pig is she? Maybe you'd like to read this and find out!
February 3, 2021
Funny, cute, effects of peer pressure on feelings, first person narrative. Lesson about not judging a book by its cover that applies not only to the pet, but also to some of his friends.
Rufus has always wanted a dog but his father doesn't want one in the house. As a compromise, his mother brings home a guinea pig. Rufus names her "Fido." As he starts to get to know Fido, he realizes that she is not a normal guinea pig - she often acts just like a dog.
Rufus is initially embarrassed and doesn't want anyone to know he has this pet - but when his friend finds out and is actually a bit jealous of her, Rufus decides it is okay to have her.
Rufus has always wanted a dog but his father doesn't want one in the house. As a compromise, his mother brings home a guinea pig. Rufus names her "Fido." As he starts to get to know Fido, he realizes that she is not a normal guinea pig - she often acts just like a dog.
Rufus is initially embarrassed and doesn't want anyone to know he has this pet - but when his friend finds out and is actually a bit jealous of her, Rufus decides it is okay to have her.
April 24, 2021
Fifth-grader Rufus wants a dog, his “Super Insane Fussy Work-at-Home Dad” doesn’t. In fact his dad’s list of reasons is endless. Trying to be helpful, Rufus’ mom brings home an alternate pet, a female guinea pig, who Rufus named Fido. Crazily enough, Fido acts like a dog. Obeying commands, fetching sticks, barking. What will his friends think? In the end Rufus learns that there is good stuff on the inside of everybody no matter what they show on the outside, and that applies to both people and pets. Jennings creates believable characters that keep the some-what shallow yet realistic plot moving along at a nice pace.
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