Shoe Dog

The story of an adorably cute & mischievous puppy.
Written by Megan Mc Donald
Illustrated by Katherine Tillotson
Atheneum Books for Young Readers (an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division)  2014
ISBN 978 1 4169 7932 6
Library copy reviewed


Inner Cover:
Shoe Dog liked to chew. And chew and chew. Not a boring old bone. Not a squeaky old toy. Not a smelly old sock. Shoe Dog liked to chew.....Well, guess!
And that's his trouble!


The Story:
Shoe Dog is a young puppy who is rescued from the animal shelter by a lady who is known as 'She Herself' throughout the book. A mischievous little pup, he decides that bones and squeaky toys are boring, and there is nothing better than a good gnaw on a shoe. No matter where they are hidden, Shoe Dog will sniff them out. This gets him into trouble of course- he doesn't get any head pats or tummy rubs and he is  left to sleep downstairs 'on the cold, cold floor with only a mop for a friend.'  Several shoes later, at last Shoe Dog gets his very own 'Shoe Cat'  slipper to play with, lick and slurp.  Feeling content with his shoe slipper, he gets to sleep upstairs with his new owner  and feel 'warm as soup, cozy as pie.'



What I think about this book:

Give me the puppy! I want that puppy! 

The illustrations in this book are superb! 

Shoe Dog is utterly cute -a delightful puppy squiggle in charcoal crayon.

I admit that, part of my love for this character is because there is a close resemblance to my own little hairy friend.

                                         Introducing Lizzie: 

isn't she just delicious?!

The delightful Shoe Dog seems to boing and bounce across the pages in typical puppy fashion. The squiggly trail behind the puppy shows us how Shoe Dog zig zags, circles and bounces throughout the house in an energetic whizz.

The dog expressions are adorable and we get to see a range of emotions including excitement, disappointment and guilt -Shoe Dog knows that his antics are getting him into trouble! I can almost hear him groan and grumble when he has been sent to the 'Corner Rug' as punishment for devouring a lovely pair of red high heels.

No sleeping in the 'Cozy Covers in the Land of Upstairs' tonight!

The text is lively and fun and written in an almost verse style. It changes in size to bring emphasis and at times, speech bubbles are used. The story is written from the perspective of the puppy and the text gives us a view of the world though the puppy's eyes e.g. sleeping in  'the Land of Upstairs'  with 'Cozy Covers'  sitting on 'Comfy Chair' and sniffing under 'the Forest of Dresses' in the wardrobe. 
I love that this book is the story of a rescue dog. On the second page, we read about dog's wish for a home:

Dog wanted a home.
A real home
A place full of
hundreds of nose kisses,
dozens of tummy rubs.
A place as warm as soup
and cozy as pie.

And later, when Shoe Dog is in trouble we read 

Shoe Dog did not want to go back
to the Land of Sad Puppies
and Scratched-Up Cats
and One-Eared Bunnies.
No!

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/91Mu1E7OfGL.jpg
Sniffing here and there, Shoe Dog HAS to
find those new shoes! At last, time for a good chew on the comfy chair.
Missus B's  Picture Book Reviews
'Shoe Dog'

Thankfully, Shoe Dog stays in his new home and  as he curls up with his cute little cat slipper, he has that lovely 'warm as soup, cozy as pie' feeling.

In short:
Shoe Dog is an adorable, playful puppy. Longing to be rescued from the animal shelter, he is a flurry of excitement and puppy cuteness. But his love of a good shoe-chew gets him into trouble. After some scolding, Shoe Dog learns to refrain (a little) and finally, he gets to have his very own snuggly slipper. This is a sweet story with super cute illustrations. A Missus B favourite.

'Shoe Dog gave Shoe Cat a lick, lick, lick, then a slurp, then a great big, doggie slobber kiss.'
Missus B's Picture Book Reviews
'Shoe Dog'

Happy reading, 
Missus B

Get the book at these affiliate links: