A sweet book about a darling dog. It's a fairly basic plot recounting Dexter's story and how he came to talk in his unusual way. The illustrations were beautiful and leant an emotional tone to the book, although at times the font and colors of the pictures matched too closely and the words disappeared.

Dexter is a legend, and now a children’s book!

I first became aware of Dexter from my social media channels. I believe it was a video of Dexter walking in a parade, like a HUMAN. I quickly followed him and learned of his backstory.

When I saw the opportunity to review this children’s book, I leapt at the chance. Dexter has been a symbol of hope and overcoming insurmountable odds, and the book shares those lessons. But it also shares the lessons of listening to your parents to avoid bad things happening, which is a clever morale added to the storyline.


The illustrations are simply sublime, and the story carefully crafted to its audience, being instructions or while also being inspirational.

My hope is that children all over the world will be as taken with Dexter as I first was, and still am.

This book was my introduction to Dexter the stand up dog. As someone who rescued a 3 legged dog many years ago, this book definitely intrigued me. While parts of the book do seem a little advanced, and possibly scary, for younger readers, I did feel better knowing it was based on a true story. I love that the author showcases Dexter's disability, adaptation, and preserverance with his new reality. I love the illustrations and use of minimal words on each page. Such a cute book overall. I found Dexter on social media and am excited to follow along and learn more about this one of a kind dog!
Thank you to NetGalley & Gnome Road Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

4 stars.

This was a super cute, sweet read. The Pictures were so cute and I loved the message of hope in this book. Dexter is adorable.

Dexter: The Stand Up Dog tells the true story of a joyful pup whose love for running led to a life-changing accident. With the support of his family and an unbreakable spirit, Dexter defied the odds by learning to walk on two legs. This heartwarming tale celebrates resilience, love, and the power of never giving up.

This was such a fun and touching book! I actually remember following this little dog’s journey years ago as it was unfolding, and it was so neat to get even more of the backstory here. Co-authors Bonnie Kelso and Kentee Pasek, along with Kelso’s expressive and vibrant illustrations, have created a beautifully told story of Dexter’s journey. But beyond the fun of a stand-up dog, this is a thoughtful and meaningful story about inclusion and how we can make space for those who are differently abled. It’s a story of perseverance, resilience, and determination in the face of obstacles, shared in a way that’s uplifting and inspiring for young readers. Some of the illustrations even brought tears to my eyes—especially the scene where Dexter visits children with cancer in the hospital.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gnome Road Publishing for the advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own, and I absolutely loved this sweet tail—er, tale.

Bad stuff just happens sometimes. But you've got to keep going. Dexter's story is inspiring and the book itself is very cute. The only thing I didn't like was that the text on darker parts of the page were a little hard to read. Maybe it's because I read it digitally and it will be better in print. A lovely story.

A well written story about a real life dog who has a terrible accident and works hard to overcome his new challenges. I would probably avoid this book with the super littles/ overly sensitive kiddos but would be good for older elementary student.

This was really interesting, and a great story about Dexter's perseverance. The initial pages about his accident were a little shocking for young readers, though. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read!

Dexter is a wonderfully written story about a real life dog who walks on his two legs. After a tragic accident in which he loses a leg, he is determined to do all the things he used to not only was he able to do that, but he also was able to have a new perspective of the world. This is a great book for kids to talk about challenges with disabilities, but also how to overcome them and make them more positive. The illustrations are beautiful as well.

I received this eBook from netGalley for a honest review.

This little dog stole my heart and it's family is wonderful. Dexter was in an accident and lost a leg but found his own way of getting around. beautiful heartfelt story with some traumatic moments.

Whether the story is important to all of us who meet with obstacles, those who share their lives with a disabled dog, or people with a visible disability, this book will encourage all of the above and more. It is the story of a real dog, his family, and how he overcame the effects of a car accident in the form of a children's book..
The illustrations by the author are delightful, brilliantly colorful, and FUN!
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age, including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, but especially to a school, hospital, doctor or vet office, or your local public library!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected eGalley on NetGalley Reader from Gnome Road Publishing via NetGalley. Avail Mar 09/16/2025
#DexterTheStandUpDog by @bonnie.kelso and @pasekkentee @gnomeroadpublishing #nonfiction
#Barnesandnoble #waterstones ***** Review #booksamillion #bookshop_org #bookshop_org_uk #childrensbookcouncil #Illustrated #NetGalley #goodreads #bookbub #librarythingofficial #kobo
@dexterdogouray#dogsofinstagram #familybond #doglifestyle #doglifestyle_ #lifeisgood❤️#dogupright #familylove #overcoming #dogsofinstagram #kidlit #kidlitart #picturebook @greatdoglit

My children have enjoyed the opportunity to read and review an early copy of this book - and so the following comments are very much their thoughts:

“This book is sad at the beginning but there is a happy ending. Dexter’s story is very inspirational and reminds us that we should take everything one step at a time. The illustrations are great and each image perfectly reflects Dexter’s story.”

This book provided room for positive discussion following questions from my almost 6-year old about why and how Dexter’s leg was severely injured and the procedure at the Veterinary Hospital - but this was an encouraging thing to know that my daughter was invested in the story and wanted to know more. We really enjoyed this inspiring true story. As a family, we know full well that a disability does not stop a dog living a happy life, nor does it make them any less deserving of love, a family and a home. Our dog is blind - but she is definitely a resilient and happy girl!

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher, Gnome Road Publishing. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own - with full input from my children.

Me while reading this book: There's no freaking way... *does some research*
Way.
This story is absolutely phenomenal, both in terms of facts and writing. Despite the middle of the story (the accident) being very sad and scary, the author made it perfect for young readers. I don't believe it will scare them too much, and it is brief enough to where it allows for the story to continue smoothly. As for the illustrations - bravo! It was amazing how perfectly accurate the illustrations were to how Dexter actually looks.
I have zero doubt that so many people will adore this spectacular book. Bravo!!

(4.5/5, rounded up)

I loved this, so this is genuinely just an FYI, MAKE SURE YOU READ THE BACK OF THE BOOK/SYNOPSIS BEFORE SO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO READ!

Because I truthfully didn't—Dexter (both illustrated and IRL) is adorable and my son loves dogs. So ohhhh my goodness was I not prepared for the emotional rollercoaster!!

This is a fantastic kids book for anyone, but especially those who may have their own (or a family member's, their pet's, someone new you're educating them/providing context to before meeting's, you get the point) injuries to understand and reflect on. In Tiny Humans, Big Emotions I learned that letting your kids talk thru and express big emotions is the best way for them to 1) truly process them and 2) become more familiar with big feelings and how to handle them. A book like this is a great tool to use when reflecting on hard experiences.

No matter the case, I would recommend this to anyone who is confident they can support any emotions this could bring up in their listeners (or reader if they can read on their own).

Thank you bunches to Bonnie Kelso, Kentee Pasek, Gnome Road Publishing, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!
(since I viewed a digital copy, I'm going to assume that the pages you'll see together are the pages shown together in landscape orientation—if that's not actually the pairings then I'd suggest making sure the parents waiting for new and the news that Dexter is okay are placed so that they'll be viewed at the same time, at first I read on my phone in portrait and was essentially going slide by slide and my heart physically hurt when the accident happened, you know that feeling? okie dokie that's all, obviously won't post this portion elsewhere!)

What a cute story! Dexter is the story of Dexter (as the name implies), a dog who lost one of his front legs and taught himself how to stand on his back legs to get around. He then went on to become an internet phenomenon. The illustrations are super cute and the story is satisfying.