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A Day, a Dog
An abandoned dog's life ends in a triumph of resourcefulness in this wordless picture book.
72 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1986
2 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
About the author
Gabrielle Vincent
260 books52 followersMonique Martin, alias Gabrielle Vincent, was a writer and illustrator of children's books from Belgium. She was born in Brussels on 9 September 1928, and died there on 24 September 2000. Her nom de plume is derived from the first names of her grandparents, Gabrielle and Vincent.
She worked as a painter of water color before beginning a career in the 1980s as an illustrator with the series Ernest et Célestine, adapted for cinema in 2012.
She worked as a painter of water color before beginning a career in the 1980s as an illustrator with the series Ernest et Célestine, adapted for cinema in 2012.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
June 6, 2021
So gorgeous, yet so sad. I have no words to do justice to this book.
June 19, 2013
This minimalistic, wordless picture book packs a lot of power in its sparse charcoal illustrations, which tell the tale of a dog abandoned, frightened, and perhaps, found.
This is emotion much unlike the type a child will find in the average picture book. Emotions are often depicted with great volume in picture books, but here we see emotion that is both up for interpretation for the child and less easy to identify with a simple label like "sad" or "mad".
Suggest to patrons looking for wordless picture books, or who crave unusual or sophisticated picture books
This is emotion much unlike the type a child will find in the average picture book. Emotions are often depicted with great volume in picture books, but here we see emotion that is both up for interpretation for the child and less easy to identify with a simple label like "sad" or "mad".
Suggest to patrons looking for wordless picture books, or who crave unusual or sophisticated picture books
August 26, 2014
Un silent book molto comunicativo. Con la sola forza di immagini essenziali, a veloci tratti in bianco e nero, esprime la tristezza di un abbandono. Affascinante e suggestivo. Triste e dolce insieme.
July 8, 2011
Vincent, Gabrielle. (1999). a day, a dog. Asheville, NC: Front Street.
Annotation: For children in fifth grade and up. Vincent Gabrielle’s simple pencil sketches tell the story of an abandoned dog. The colorless sketches are straight forward, yet they still allow the sophisticated child to tell the story in great descriptive detail. As the dog travels along the reader follows the sketches to the next page to see what will happen to the dog next. In the end, the dog encounters a boy and the child is left with his or her imagination for an ending.
Personal Reaction: I like this book because it could be used in many ways for the classroom. Students could write their own story to go along with the book’s illustrations or write the story from the dog’s perspective. A book without words might discourage some children, but with encouragement, they can see it as an opportunity to make the story their own.
Annotation: For children in fifth grade and up. Vincent Gabrielle’s simple pencil sketches tell the story of an abandoned dog. The colorless sketches are straight forward, yet they still allow the sophisticated child to tell the story in great descriptive detail. As the dog travels along the reader follows the sketches to the next page to see what will happen to the dog next. In the end, the dog encounters a boy and the child is left with his or her imagination for an ending.
Personal Reaction: I like this book because it could be used in many ways for the classroom. Students could write their own story to go along with the book’s illustrations or write the story from the dog’s perspective. A book without words might discourage some children, but with encouragement, they can see it as an opportunity to make the story their own.
November 3, 2009
Spoiler Alert
Ok, the illustrations in this book are fabulous and incredibly moving. The ones of the dog, particularly so, BUT it's totally depressing. Heart-wrenching! The illustrator is just too good.
Even though the ending is "happy", it's not certain if the dog gets to stay with the boy or not. Good god, don't share this with your children.
Ok, the illustrations in this book are fabulous and incredibly moving. The ones of the dog, particularly so, BUT it's totally depressing. Heart-wrenching! The illustrator is just too good.
Even though the ending is "happy", it's not certain if the dog gets to stay with the boy or not. Good god, don't share this with your children.
December 3, 2015
it was OK. there are no words and no color and the pictures don't have much detail but it has a good story. I think I like the Ernest and Celeste stories by this author more than this book but I got it on Amazon for a dollar so can't complain.
December 16, 2017
Top ten. Exceptional book.
July 13, 2019
i "read"(explained and showed the pictures) of this picture books to some kids 6-7-8-9/year olds in a program I volunteer for. The kids asked a lot of questions, some morbid. I had a hard time explaining some things, like who are the dark human figures emerging from the wreck? Firemen? No, because firemen appear two pages later. And after the wreck, is the dog pissing on a tombstone? That is exactly what it looks like, but hard to tell. Weird. A happy ending for the dog is implied but not confirmed. I won't be reading this book to children again. I guess its a picture book for older kids. review by cyco eva
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
August 18, 2025Not sure what to do with this one, so I chose not to rate (it's not "zero stars," it's "no rating here"). I bought it secondhand on the basis of the art when I casually flipped through in the store (and I love wordless picture books) but I was unprepared for the reality of the story when I got home and took another look. The first pages, showing a vividly-realized depiction of someone dumping a dog out of their car on the highway, undid me. After a sobbing meltdown and a few hours battling violent intrusive thoughts, I took an exacto knife to the book and removed the pages that broke my heart, creating a new story I could live with.
This is a bold book, and in its way, it's a beautiful and realistic book. Not every child (or, ahem, adult) would react poorly to it like I did. But warning for parents with sensitive kids - might want to skip this one.
This is a bold book, and in its way, it's a beautiful and realistic book. Not every child (or, ahem, adult) would react poorly to it like I did. But warning for parents with sensitive kids - might want to skip this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2020
Una història sense paraules sobre un gos abandonat pel seus amos en una carretera enmig del no res.
Amb l’únic suport d’uns dibuixos al carbonet impressionants que pràcticament no passen de l’esbós, l’autora de Ernest i Celestine aconsegueix transmetre un munt de sentiments i sensacions diferents.
Amb l’únic suport d’uns dibuixos al carbonet impressionants que pràcticament no passen de l’esbós, l’autora de Ernest i Celestine aconsegueix transmetre un munt de sentiments i sensacions diferents.
November 2, 2017
The illustrations really look like pencil sketching. It's sad and yet hopeful.
August 19, 2018
Sad story!
November 24, 2018
Zaz... se rompió un corazón
October 2, 2020
CUTE!!
March 12, 2023
Top ten. Exceptional book.
April 26, 2023
A gem.
May 30, 2025
Heart rendering.
March 5, 2017
Me gustó mucho la sencillez del dibujo, por momentos cuando pasaba las hojas rápido parecía una animación. La artista dibuja los movimientos del perro magníficamente.
February 22, 2017
Wow. The emotions that these seemingly simple sketches will make a reader feel are intense!
November 20, 2014
This story is told in all pictures. It can be interpreted in many ways. This story seems to start out with a dog getting left behind and the dog decides to follow till the car out runs him. Even though he is left all alone, the dog still tries it's best to follow the family that left him behind. In search of that family he doesn't notice cars and causes many car accidents. The dog doesn't really let anyone get near him. Despite having caused some accidents, the dog continues his mission to find those who left him behind. The dog makes it into town, still trying to find the family who left him. The ending is one you have to go and find out.
All the pictures are in black and white. Also, it seems that the pictures are just sketched and edited a little bit to give it the look it has. I feel that the lack of color helps set the mood of the story. When a person from the cars is in the picture, the face is not clear. People seem to be drawn in all black. Maybe this is done because the story is mainly about the dog. The face of the dog is clear enough to see his expressions but there are times where even the dog's face isn't clear. Overall, it's a good storyline.
All the pictures are in black and white. Also, it seems that the pictures are just sketched and edited a little bit to give it the look it has. I feel that the lack of color helps set the mood of the story. When a person from the cars is in the picture, the face is not clear. People seem to be drawn in all black. Maybe this is done because the story is mainly about the dog. The face of the dog is clear enough to see his expressions but there are times where even the dog's face isn't clear. Overall, it's a good storyline.
January 6, 2013
At first, the scribbly illustrations in this wordless book may look hard to decipher, but look closer, and you'll see the diamond in the rough. This is a beautiful and affecting little story in which a dog makes his way through a confusing and frightening world after being abandoned along a roadside.
A Day, a Dog urges readers to look at the plight of an abandoned pet with empathy. It ends on a hopeful, but not completely unrealistic, note. Although the the illustrations have a rough, sketchbook quality, the author's talent with dog anatomy and body language is impressive. Anyone who has a dog or spends time with canines will instantly recognize the dog's expressions and postures.
Despite its format, this book is better suited for older children and adults who will appreciate it, rather than the typical preschool picture book audience.
A Day, a Dog urges readers to look at the plight of an abandoned pet with empathy. It ends on a hopeful, but not completely unrealistic, note. Although the the illustrations have a rough, sketchbook quality, the author's talent with dog anatomy and body language is impressive. Anyone who has a dog or spends time with canines will instantly recognize the dog's expressions and postures.
Despite its format, this book is better suited for older children and adults who will appreciate it, rather than the typical preschool picture book audience.
June 19, 2013
This wordless story is told through expressive charcoal drawings. The first drawing of the dog being tossed from the car is heartbreaking. The dog runs after the car, but can't cath up. To me, the most disturbing picture is of the driver looking back at the dog - with others in the car - and speeding away. The dog is confused and lonely. The story does have a happy ending, though - the dog finds a child to love! This is not a story for a young child to read alone, but don't shy away from sharing this book with children. It provides a wonderful opportunity to have a conversation with children about responsible pet ownership.
Recommend this book to older children, maybe fifth grade and up. It is a good example of books by foreign authors (in this case - Belgium). It be a good choice for teachers and parents who are looking for books about responsibility or treatment of animals.
Recommend this book to older children, maybe fifth grade and up. It is a good example of books by foreign authors (in this case - Belgium). It be a good choice for teachers and parents who are looking for books about responsibility or treatment of animals.
November 12, 2013
A very good story. Very important subject matter that is difficult but useful for preteens. I would definitely consider using this, especially with older kids ( 4-5th graders).
Ironically I checked it out for the gentle and simple graphite drawings that display so much with so few strokes. Initially I thought, there's not enough here, where's the story? Then, I began to understand how sad it was that this dog was abandoned ... the subject matter became more complex the more I looked and thought about the drawings.
This is an excellent vehicle for kids to talk about, write, make music, or do art surrounding the difficult subject of abandonment, loneliness, feeling unloved, or whatever they get out of the story.
It could be used to discuss the literal abandonment and fate of homeless animals and how kids or adults can help.
Ironically I checked it out for the gentle and simple graphite drawings that display so much with so few strokes. Initially I thought, there's not enough here, where's the story? Then, I began to understand how sad it was that this dog was abandoned ... the subject matter became more complex the more I looked and thought about the drawings.
This is an excellent vehicle for kids to talk about, write, make music, or do art surrounding the difficult subject of abandonment, loneliness, feeling unloved, or whatever they get out of the story.
It could be used to discuss the literal abandonment and fate of homeless animals and how kids or adults can help.
March 29, 2013
Completely wordless the story pretty much is about how the dog's owner leaves him behind. So the dog goes about his day. Left on a road and abandoned the dog walks and winds up running across the road and causes an accident. The dog seems like he is trying to help but winds up being a burden. So he continues his journey and finds a town but he is not welcome. Finally the owners come back for him but the dog is unsure if he's wanted but the owner is excited to see him.
Pretty much, plain and simple the story speaks for itself. The drawings in pencil are amazing and the message is really powerful. How often do we get lost until someone or something finds us.
Great for a themed based storytime or for display.
Pretty much, plain and simple the story speaks for itself. The drawings in pencil are amazing and the message is really powerful. How often do we get lost until someone or something finds us.
Great for a themed based storytime or for display.
February 13, 2013
This wordless picture book is great to read to children. It is simple enough for them to understand and they can come up with their own sentences. I love how it tells a story without one word. The story ends up happy, but starts out sad. I love this book because everyone can take it in a different way. An activity you could do in your classroom is show everyone this book and then have them write a story about what they think happened in the book. That way you can see all the different versions of what the book could be about and let them express there opinions in a creative way.
June 19, 2013
This minimalistic, wordless picture book packs a lot of power in its sparse charcoal illustrations, which tell the tale of a dog abandoned, frightened, and perhaps, found.
This is emotion much unlike the type a child will find in the average picture book. Emotions are often depicted with great volume in picture books, but here we see emotion that is both up for interpretation for the child and less easy to identify with a simple label like "sad" or "mad".
Suggest to patrons looking for wordless picture books, or who crave unusual or sophisticated picture books.
This is emotion much unlike the type a child will find in the average picture book. Emotions are often depicted with great volume in picture books, but here we see emotion that is both up for interpretation for the child and less easy to identify with a simple label like "sad" or "mad".
Suggest to patrons looking for wordless picture books, or who crave unusual or sophisticated picture books.
Want to read
February 3, 2016This book is heart-wrenching and unique. With no words and only black and white drawings we are free to fill in the missing pieces. It begins with a dog being abandoned by what we think are the dog's owners. We then predict that the dog is lonely and sad. The dog wrecks havoc in town and causes problems but ends up finding a boy who gives him hope. I would not recommend children to read this book by themselves, especially at an early age. This book is probably better for grades 5 and up in teaching responsibility or pet ownership. The illustrations alone tell the story completely.
August 21, 2015
This book appealed to me because it was about a dog. It wasn’t until I had brought it home from the library that I realized there were no words. But the lack of words make this a great picture book for children of all ages. The simple sketches show the wanderings of the dog without a complex story. This book could also come in handy in the classroom for an exercise where the teacher asks the students to write words for the pictures. This exercise could be used in elementary school all the way up to college.
February 7, 2017
La storia è quella di un cane che viene abbandonato in strada e inizia il suo lungo viaggio, fatto di solitudine e pericoli, alla ricerca di chi l'ha abbandonato. Ma alla fine un nuovo incontro potrebbe segnare l'inizio di una nuova vita. Ma il lettore non può saperlo, il libro si conclude con questo inatteso incontro. Il lettore con lo scorrere delle pagine segue la lunga corsa del cane, pagina dopo pagina, attraverso i veloci tratti del disegno. Fino all'ultima pagina in cui ognuno può trovare il proprio finale.
Recensione completa su: https://goo.gl/kdNwsi
Recensione completa su: https://goo.gl/kdNwsi
July 1, 2012
Beautiful book of pictures.... showing how the simplest of brush strokes can tell an entire story. Simple black and white sketches filled with such emotion.... just a special little book. Me and my son found this in the children's section of the library and just loved it for its simplicity and its power.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews