Hot Dog

While my daughter isn’t quite old enough to tell me the ins and outs of her favorites, this one is in heavy rotation this summer–the tale of an NYC dog and his owner who escape the heat for an island beach adventure, returning restored. She loves the pictures of taxis, the dog running free on the beach and “going under” (digging in the sand), truly all things dog.

Since we live on an island and spend our days, like this dog, at the beach, much is familiar. She’s mesmerized by the language (today, she kept repeating the line “trains rumble… show more.

This book immediately conquered my heart with its unique illustration style. The artwork is so captivating that you can get lost in it with your young reader, discovering new exciting details every time you look.

This charming tale of a dog's day out in the city is something both children and adults can relate to. I love how it teaches empathy for the dog's feelings without ever explicitly saying it, letting the pictures truly tell the story.

The book takes us on a delightful journey through New York City and to the beach, beautifully capturing the lives of a dog… show more.

From the minute you open this book, you feel steamy hot like the sun is sitting right on your shoulder staring you blankly in the eye.

It’s midday in a busy downtown, and a weiner dog and his owner want to escape the inescapable heat, so they do. They run off to spend the day at the beach. When they come back to the bustling metropolis, it’s calmer and cooler as the sun fades away to night. I loved this exploration of a hot day, as I’ve experienced more than my fair share of them as a Texas girl. 

In this Caldecott-winning treasure, a little dachshund is just too hot to take another step through the crowded, noisy city.  

Abandoning her errands, his person hails a taxi, rides a train, then boards a ferry to the beach to let her dog cool off and run free. (Enjoy the setting, Fire Island fans!)  

The text is spare and poetic. The art is exquisite. The book fills the heart and the senses. I could read it a million times. 

Note: Since the book is so realistic, it can be disconcerting to see safety breaches such as the dog tied up outside… show more.