Good Boy, Fergus!

Sadly, I am monolingual so had to read this in English. But, our beloved nanny had the joy of reading to our daughter in her native tongue which is a great plus for our family.

How David Shannon can get inside the head of our best friend is beyond me. There must be an angry dog somewhere who's barking mad at his or her stolen royalties. In fact, I almost suspect that our dog, the undeniably intelligent,funny, cooperative-yet-willful Sadie the Golden Retriever both co-wrote and modeled for the book. NO that's there's any physical similaries between Fergus--a SUPER-expressive white terrior--and Sadie. However, both these dogs know how to give "Attitude," with a huge capital A. WHoever said that dogs are easy; cats are hard never met Fergus: Destructive as a bull shopping for china, playful as an otter, and stubborn as the stubbornest mule on either side of your closest mountain range. The disruption starts early as a calm morning walk (Fergus' human holds a newspaper, perhaps thinking he might glance at the headlines) turns into a chase after a cat. Fergus' legs fly in different directions, his tongue lunges forward, and his eyes grow big. Shannon draws this (in gouache and ink, I believe) almost like a cubist painting, "Dog Descending a Porch Trying to Eat a Cat," with playful elongations of time and dimension. The next 2-page spread is all too familiar to dog owners: Fergus, despite much pleading, expert commands ("COME"), and good cop/bad cop negotiations, refuses to return from his post at a squirreled tree. Fergus knows how to work it. He's cute and cuddly, and he knows it. He can follow the rigorous commands of "Sit," "Roll Over," and "Down." This is a great advantage when wanting that itch scratched or the always-hungry belly filled. Fergus hides under the bed when it's bathtime(though his butt shows), adhere to canine union rules by sticking out his head while Mr. Human drives, successfully--through sheer persistence--gets spaghetti table scraps, and LEAPS upon his human at the mere metion of "walk." He pees on the sidewalk, but that's a dog's perogative, and, before retiring for the evening, waits out dinner until the man squirts it with whipped cream. Dry Food a la Mode, anyone? I love this book. It captures the obvious and the subtle in well-known dog behaviors, and does so sympathetically. Sure Fergus can be a little work, but Shannon takes the healthy attitude that this is what a dog is like. Show dogs may sniff their noses at this notion, but Fergus is just not one of them, and never will be. Shannon's illustrations are spectacular; the big expanses of color with inkshading and detail, copious use of yellow, and the big green palid jacket of Mr. Human have an exciting 1940's aesthetic. Fergus is all motion and emotion, and Shannon gets it perfectly and playfully, with lots of open space, curvy lines, and multiple actions upn which delighted eyes will dance. Fergus has appeared in ten of Caldecott Honor winner Shannon's previous books, but this is his first as the main character. He acquits himself like a very good dog, indeed.

This is a very brightly illustrated book and very silly for children. I bought it because my [British] husband's name is actually Fergus and I thought it would be funny for my kids. We enjoy the book and the fact that the dog doesn't behave. I would recommend the book, even if no one in your family is named Fergus.

Having two Westies of my own, I was sure that David Shannon was writing about mine. He definetely knows what Westies are like right down to the precious smile on their faces. It is an adorable book for all, but especially the Westie Lover. Thank you David Shannon for making my day with your wonderful book.

My family had a Westie. David Shannon's "Good Boy, Fergus" completely nails the character of the breed. He's got every maddening but endearing trait of the "Westie-tude" down to a "T" in laugh-inducing drawings that you'll be eager to show others. Yes, "Fergus" is for reading level 4 - 8, but this adult reader was in tears of laughter thumbing through it. It's a compulsory purchase for anyone who has had a Westie make their indelible imprint on your life.