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Not Afraid of Dogs
- By Susanna Pitzer
- Genre: Family Life
Common Sense Media says
Sweet, poignant story of overcoming fear.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that there is nothing to be concerned about in this book, which won the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators' Golden Kite Award for Illustrations. Its theme of compassion overcoming fear is a sweet one.
What's the story?
"I'm the bravest boy of all!" says Daniel. But he is afraid of dogs. "I'm not afraid of dogs," says Daniel. "I just don't like them." So he avoids them as best he can, even climbing up a lamppost to avoid a dog-walker.
But when his mother agrees to take care of his aunt's dog while she travels, avoiding it becomes even harder. He locks himself in his room, and refuses to come out even for dinner. "He's afraid," says his sister. "Am not!" yells Daniel from his room. But a midnight trip to the bathroom during a thunderstorm, only to find the terrified dog huddled behind the toilet, brings out a feeling in Daniel stronger than his fear: compassion.
Is it any good?
Susanna Pitzer shows the story in simple, clear text that lets readers draw their own conclusions. Before the text even starts, Larry Day draws readers in with his enchanting illustrations on the cover and endpapers, combining borderless pen-and-ink drawings with watercolor and gouache paintings. Pitzer's knack for family dialogue is matched by Day's vivid depiction of body language. Together, the two become more than the sum of their parts.
This happens most poignantly in the confrontation between boy and dog, when Daniel's compassion for the terrified dog wins out over his fear and, in a beautiful spread, he drops to his knees to gather the dog into his arms, both of their hearts pounding. This provides a surprisingly strong climax to an already lovely book sure to be cherished by both dog lovers and those who maybe have a bit of fear of their own.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the situation the author presents. Why do you think Daniel is afraid of dogs? How does he overcome that fear?
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| Author: | Susanna Pitzer |
| Illustrator: | Larry Day |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Family Life |
| Publisher: | Walker and Co. |
| Publication date: | May 1, 2006 |
| Number of pages: | 32 |
| Hardcover price: | $16.95 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 5 - 7 |
| Read aloud: | 4 |
| Read alone: | 6 |
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