Parents' Guide to

Bad Dog, Marley!

By Dawn Friedman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 4+

Kids learn that even bad dogs have good days.

Book John Grogan Picture Book 2007
Bad Dog, Marley! Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

Marley the dog moves in and chaos reigns. Will Marley be allowed to stay with his new family?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (1 ):

Marley is a big, floppy, and ostensibly lovable Labrador retriever who turns the family home into chaos in this endearing story. Destroying glasses, eating chocolate cake on top of the refrigerator, and otherwise creating mayhem, Marley doesn't seem long for the family. While big sister Cassie and baby Louie love Marley they can't help but join their parents in a chorus of, "Bad dog, Marley!"

The book, a kid-sized version of bestselling memoir, Marley & Me, is uninspired with nice but uninteresting illustrations to match. The ending is pat and formulaic. Kids will likely cheer Marley's heroics but adults will be left yawning. And it still doesn't explain how the family learns to live with such a destructive canine.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about their own family rules and limits when it comes to pets. What sorts of things could the family in this book try when they're fed up with Marley? Even though Marley has proven his worth they still need to deal with his bad behavior. Kids can brainstorm ideas.

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate