Mutt Dog!

A touching story about a homeless dog who finally finds a place he belongs when he is adopted by a young woman who works at a homeless shelter. Pen and ink with watercolor drawings evoke the French illustrator Sempe's cartoon-like style. The author shows us the hardships of being a stray dog without focusing too much on details that might be frightening to young children, as we see how the dog survives day-to-day in the big city. The story also shows the difficult existence of homeless people, as we see people sleeping in cardboard boxes, on park benches, and under stairways. The author skillfully uses cool and warm colors in his illustrations to contrast the golden warmth and inviting look of inside spaces with the cold, windy, blue and grey-tinged colors of the city streets. This story is more than just another cute dog book, since it can open up a discussion of the problem of homelessness for people as well as animals. An excellent addition for a dog storytime. Recommended for ages 4 through 8.

This is one of my children's favorite books (they are 2, 4, and 6). It has a lovely story and beautiful pictures. We often buy it as a gift for friends.

This is a great book to introduce to a young child. One great thing about Australian culture (and probably many other cultures) is that we have a great love for dogs. In Mutt Dog we share in Mutt Dog's initial poverty and rejection, we can feel the loneliness and cold of this unwanted canine. It is heart-warming to see Mutt Dog taken in. This is an entertaining story not without a great message for young people. 5 stars without hesitation. Woof!

This picture book is about a homeless dog who is looking for a place to spend the night. He tries lots of places like a park bench, a cardboard box and under some stairs. Every where he goes he gets told to Go Away! The dog ends up at a homeless shelter. The owner takes pity on him and let him stay for the night. They is not enough food to share with the dog so she sends him on his way the next morning. HE wonders around most of the morning hungry and alone. Then he hears the lady from the shelter calling for him. She takes him home to her own family and they make him their dog. What did you like or not like about the book? The story is very sweet. Would you recommend this book? Why or Why not? We would recommend this to all dog lovers. This is a great story to bring up discussion on homelessness and poverty.