The Backward Bird Dog

I have read this aloud to K5 and 1st graders during weekly school library visits. It is GREAT for comprehension and encourages listening skills. Students listen intently and are delighted to guess correctly the items described by the backwards bird dog. Will read again this year to new classes when I replace well-worn paperback! School Librarian

...This book is about a dog named J.C. He is a bird dog and everyone knows that this kind of dog leads with its nose. J.C. is welcomed to a new home where a cat whacks him on the nose...a dog bites him on the nose...a bee stings him on the nose...and a momma bird pecks him on the nose. All he wants is love and be appreciated by his new family. But how can he point with his nose when everyone is trying to attack it. There must be a better way. I guess this is what happens when you are curious about everything.The part that I liked was when everyone wanted to always attack his nose. Like the first time he saw the cat. "I mean it." His lip curled. "you come any closer, I'm gonna rip your nose off."I mean J.c. wasn't even doing anything to the cat and he gets angry for no reason. "Oooouch! I squealed. "That hurt! You really did...you ripped my nose off."Another part that I liked was when the bee stung him. The bee was getting some pollen from the flower and J.C. asked "Are you getting something to eat? Are you playing down there?" The thing was that the bee didn't even talk. "Yipe,yipe,yipe," I cried and jumped back. The bee had stung him on the nose and it really hurted him. My favorite part was really everything. Because it was very funny and exciting. J.C. was a curious dog who was very confused when it came to certain things. Like when it came to his nose, he always wanted to sniff things and that's why his nose always got hurt. He liked to searched different areas and go on adventures. I guess you can't always be curious about everything you see or hear.

Summary: This book is about a little bird dog who gets a home with Justin. Then the puppy get scratch by a cat, bit by a dog stringed by a bee,and peck by a bird. When he started growing up he started to point backward to protect his nose. Opinion: I think this is a very good book because this little puppy doesn't want get his nose hurt so he point backwards instead of frontward. I think it was very funny too because when his noes was sore it blew up like a balloon. Character:The character in this book are Justin who is a little boy,Bill who is the father Carol who is the mother ,and J.C who is the main character because j.c is the dog. Bill Wallace had won 17 state awards on this one book.

I don't know how somebody would not give this book 5 stars.I read this book for the first time when I was in 2nd grade. I'm now in seventh and still read it once a year.

This adorable book made us laugh from begining to end. You will follow J.C. from puppyhood to adulthood and all his antics in between. It also provides the chance to imagine what a dog thinks about us, and life. This is a must read for anyone!