Review by Booklist Review
Ages 6-8.. Sam wants a dog. When he finally gets a gangly black puppy for his ninth birthday, he names it Dodger and soon discovers that, in typical puppy fashion, it leaves destruction and a surfeit of chewed objects in its wake. When Dodger disrupts Sam's Little League game, Sam's mom suggests that Dodger may just be too much dog for the family to handle. Sam takes matters into his own hands by giving Dodger obedience lessons every morning. After a month of training, Dodger shows up at another game, where he behaves himself to the astonishment of everyone. Tales of a puppy's first disobedience and ultimate redemption abound. Yet, Abercrombie's text will be great for beginning readers, and Adam Gustavson's illustrations enliven what would otherwise be a mundane story. Painting in vigorous oils with broad, visible brush strokes, Gustavson nicely captures Dodger's look of wide-eyed innocence after each manic outburst. -Todd Morning
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3-A well-written, charmingly illustrated story with a satisfying, happy ending. Sam wants a dog so much that he eats his vegetables, cleans his room, and otherwise proves that he is a worthy young dog-owner-to-be. On his ninth birthday, his wish comes true. Unfortunately, Dodger is afflicted with puppy fever and accordingly wreaks havoc at home and on the Little League field, so he might have to be sent to a family who can give him the attention he craves. Determined, Sam arises early each morning to spend time training him, ultimately saves the day and his dog, and hits a home run for his team, which accepts Dodger as its mascot. The clean, simple writing is without a superfluous or false word, and the well-worn story line emerges fresh and crisp. Furthermore, it works both as a picture book for preschoolers and as a beginning reader. The color illustrations in oils are realistic, warmhearted renderings of a white, middle-class American family. Dodger is especially well depicted as a quirky but lovable puppy that dog lovers of all ages will find irresistible.-Dorian Chong, San Jose State University, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Sam wanted a dog, and after he demonstrates the requisite maturity, his parents bring home Dodger for Sam's ninth birthday. What follows is a rather predictable pattern of training, accepting lapses in obedience, and learning from mistakes--for Sam and Dodger both. The ordinary story is given warmth and individuality by the painterly illustrations, rich in texture and the colors of spring. From HORN BOOK Fall 2002, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Sam wants a dog, but his parents insist he is not yet responsible enough to have one. Sam tries very hard to show his parents how good he can be by cleaning his room, eating his vegetables, and hanging up his hat. Finally, on Sam's ninth birthday his wish is granted. He is given a soft, black puppy he names Dodger. Dodger proves to be a handful of rambunctious energy. He knocks over the garbage and chews up Sam's baseball cap, making Sam ". . . so mad he almost cried." Even when Dodger gets relegated to the backyard, he creates mischief by following Sam to school and knocking over the hamster cage. When Dodger upsets Sam's Little League game by running off with the bat, it becomes clear that something must be done. Faced with giving Dodger away, Sam gets motivated. He rises early in the morning and begins a daily practice of training Dodger. Their hard work pays off, for at the next Little League game, Dodger proves himself more fun than trouble. Supported by full-bleed oil paintings in lush, enveloping colors, Gustavson's (Where the Big Fish Are, 2001, etc.) talent lends warmth and depth to this work. Dodger is painted with the please-love-me quality of an irresistible shaggy dog. With text enough to keep an early reader busy, this is a perfect cautionary tale for a youngster about to get a first dog. Abercrombie (Michael and the Cats, not reviewed, etc.) illustrates without pedantry that a well-trained dog makes life happier and more harmonious for humans and canine alike. (Picture book. 5-9)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
