I Wish My Brother Was a Dog - Hardcover

Carol Diggory-Shields is the author of many works for children including the poetry booksLunch Money, Almost Late to School, andAfter the Bell Rings. She currently works as a childrens librarian and previously worked with children as a recreational therapist. She lives in northern California.

PreSchool-Grade 2. A young narrator conjures up various scenarios of what it would be like if his baby brother were a dog. Among other things, Andy could guard the house, play Frisbee, and stay in a little house "way, way out in the backyard." While the ideas are clever, the narrative is a bit understated and belabored. What saves this title are the sparkling illustrations that add life to the text?seeing a baby peeing side-legged into the flowers is a lot funnier than hearing, "Just think, Andy, if you were a dog, no more stinky diapers." From the overall inventiveness of the artist's vision to the humorous details added to each page, readers will be caught up in the fantasy. Using pen-and-ink and watercolor, the artist draws scenes with a light touch that adds to a feeling of free-spirited abandonment of the rules of proper behavior. While the boy may at the end be willing to keep his brother and treat him as such, it's hard to believe his active imagination will be contained for too long. This book could well spark some creative pretending in classrooms and among individual listeners.?Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.