Good Dog!

This is just adorable! Children will completely fall in love with the gorgeously cute and eager to please dog in the story. The illustrations are very cute and the fact it is written from an excitable dog perspective is charming. The children I teach would absolutely love this - the end will certainly promote a giggle. A good story for developing inferring skills in young children too with prompts from the pictures to support them.

I will definitely have to buy a copy!

In the words of my four year old son this book was ‘fantastic!’ I would suggest this book is best suited for 2-5 year olds. Good Dog is beautifully illustrated with short simple paragraphs making it a quick page turner and easy to follow. Whilst the story is cute and several times sent my little boy into fits of giggles the underlying theme of emotions lead naturally into a conversation afterwards about ‘what makes you feel....’ which is a rare find in a children’s picture book. As we happened to be the perfect target range for this book we both give it 5/5 stars.

A must have for any dog loving family’s children’s library, I ADORED this book about an overenthusiastic dog trying their very best to be a Good Dog for their owner Melvin and always getting it ever so slightly wrong. A young reader’s Marley and Me, this is a delightful book which has been a real hit in our household. We loved the dog with the extremely accurate waggy tail, the exasperated Melvin and the chucklesome escapades of this very loveable pooch. He really just sort of gets carried away with what’s happening and forgets he is probably going to be told off! The illustrations are gorgeous, like arty paintings and are absolutely spot on, with the expressions on the faces of dog, owner and cat all really adding depth to a joyful read. For any dog owner or lover who has owned a dog that they just can’t stay mad at, this will ring true on every page. As the adult reading, it really tugged my heartstrings too, reminding me that whilst the pup in our house also gets up to antics, it’s never malicious and always loving, so yes, we did have a little dog cuddle after this! I am so grateful for reads like this, which will be great across lots of age ranges, from small to school age, as it’s a universal tale that many children will love too.
Thank you to Quarto Publishing and Net Galley for the advance e-book copy of this title- which I will be going out to buy as a physical copy once released!

We LOVED this book! It is perfect for just getting a puppy, and showing Ada that they sometimes make mistakes, which why we train them, praise them when they get it right and correct them if they get it wrong. It is a fun story, with beautiful illustrations and one we truly love!

I absolutely adore this book! Sean Taylor captures the temperament of dogs perfectly: their goofiness, their eagerness to please, their utter devotion to their owner. This is heightened by the fact that Dog narrates the story. David Barrow’s artwork is superb; I love his use of perspective and there is so much warmth and feeling radiating from his artwork. A really wonderful story full of heart. Dogs make the best picture book central characters!

This is a really funny well illustrated book about a dog who really likes to be called 'Good dog', but when he does something bad, things start to go wrong for him.

Children will really love this story, especially ones whom loves dogs

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for ARC

This is one of those lovely books that is fun to read but also has a sweet, underlying message for preschoolers, in this case about actions and consequences. And about the fact that, even when children are naughty, either accidentally or on purpose, and are told off for it, they are still loved.

The book is beautifully illustrated and the unnamed dog a real character, with emotions that young children can easily identify with (even if they can't put names to them); feelings like pride, temptation, guilt, sadness and a desire to please. My four year-old grandson engaged fully with the story, and was eager to point out at the end that, just as the dog was a "Good dog!," so was he a "Good boy!"

I can see this book being a big hit with nursery / kindergarten teachers because of the important messaging, but it would be an equally desirable addition to every family bookshelf. I just wish the dog had a name!

My thanks to Quarto Publishing and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

A wonderfully, heartwarming story about a mischievous dog who wants to be good. A must read for story time

Great dog's-eye-view of a mutt who just wants to be called a 'good dog'!

This is one dog whose mission in life is for owner Melvin to call him 'good dog'. He's loving, ever-cheerful and brimming over with energy. Which can mean he can get himself into pickles - eating just one piece of pizza... jumping on Melvin in the bath.... but when a plate of sausages is inadvertently left out, this dog is determined to prove himself equal to the task of leaving it be all day and earning back his 'good dog' title. Can he do it?

It's just absolutely adorable... Dog is perfectly created and voiced to be a spot-on pet canine, with the loyalty and bounciness you'd expect from his breed.

The illustrations show movement and Dog's energy really well, with dog mannerisms captured in stills. Melvin is an interesting character, old-fashioned clothes mean it's hard to tell when this is set or even what age he is, but he's a single man with pets who wears bath hats and shirts and ties.

There's a lot of warmth in this story, in this narration and in the pictures, and it's one readers will return to for the amusing story and ending.

Even small children who like dogs will get something out of this, and adults will see a real dog in his joy de vivre and craving for acceptance and love.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

The dog in this funny and beautifully illustrated book, Good Dog by Sean Taylor and David Barrow, clearly needs to learn a lesson in self-restraint!

His owner, Melvin, thinks he’s a very “good dog” and, always desperate for approval, this makes our canine friend very happy. But a cheeky nibble on a pizza that was definitely not meant for him and suddenly he’s a “bad dog” and no matter what he does he can’t seem to find his way back into Melvin’s good books. When a tempting plate of sausages presents itself, it’ll take all his resolve and willpower not to touch it. But will he be able to prove to Melvin, and to himself, that he’s been a “good dog” all along..?

The artwork in this book is gorgeous; I especially love how the illustrator has injected an energetic sense of motion to his depictions of the excitable pup. Dog lovers will particularly enjoy this one and will surely fall in love with our unfortunate furry friend. The bond between a dog and his owner really shines through and, with a few very funny moments (including a pretty surreal sausage-related dream!) it’s a lovely, heartwarming story that leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy.

Good Dog is published by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books and is now available in paperback. With thanks for this gifted e-copy for review.