A stray dog moves into George's formerly peaceful home, dazzling the man and woman of the house with lively tricks and antics that just leave George exhausted.

Kids love dogs, and they love this story of old hound dog named George and little terrier Zippity who shows up one day and can do no wrong. ( )

George has the perfect life with a man and woman who treat him like a king. Soon a new dog shows up at his house and begins to get all the attention. One night there is a huge thunderstorm and the new dog, Zippity gets scared and makes a huge mess in the house. Zippity is put outside and wanders away in the storm. The man and woman beg George to go out and find Zippity. He searches all over and soon finds Zippity stuck in the mudd, so he saves him and brings him home. The man and the woman are overjoyed and George and Zippity begin to get a long and learn to live with each other.

George is a bassett hound who is very content with his life and is happy to be told over and over by his owners that he is "Some dog!" When a stray shows up at his house and is taken in by his owners, George is not so happy. The new dog is named Zippity because of his energy and suddenly George is not so content with his life. When Zippity goes missing in a storm, George is reluctant to search but since he is a hound who can smell anything, he follows Zippity's scent and ends up saving him. George feels like "some dog" again and is happy to share with Zippity after that. ( )

Cynthia Durbin

1. Citation: Casanova, Mary. Illus. Ard Hoyt. Some Dog. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007. [Bird Library Book]

Age level: 4-8 years.

Abstract: George is an older only dog who enjoys the slow pace of his life with his owners. All that changes when the man and woman find a stray little dog full of life and energy. Because he is so energetic they name him Zippity. Life changes for George and he wonders, what can he do to that will show his owners he is still…some dog.

Recommendation Justification: Appropriate as a read aloud for younger grades and teaches about friendship.

How to use: This book could be used by teachers if teaching a unit on pets or discussing sibling rivalry and could also be used by parents for children who may be dealing with the issue of feeling replaced when a new sibling arrives in the home.

Appropriateness of Artwork: The artwork is done using expressive watercolors that show the whimsy of the story between the two dogs.