Book Review: Everything Dog (Q/A about dogs for kids)

Everything Dog - What Kids Really Want to Know About Dogs, by Marty Crisp (Northwood, 2003, 64 pages, $7.95, 8-11 years, grades 3-6)

Thirty-two questions (and answers) kids may have about dogs, plus a page of resources and a page of fun superlatives (hairiest, baldest, noisiest, quietest dog) make this a fun resource book. Though having been around for more than a decade, Everything Dog is still modern and up-to-date, except for a very few ‘facts.’

We even learned a couple of things about dogs and we have been in the business of learning about dogs for about 25 years now: dog ears can be termed prick, pendant, button and docked, but also rose ears (bulldogs) and bat ears (basenjis). Dogs have cut tails or otter tails, but also bobtails (OES), crank tails (bulldog), squirrel tails (peke), flagpole tails (bassett), rat tails (Irish water spaniel), pothook tails (Shih Tzu), whip tails (greyhound), curled tails (chow chow), plume tails (Pom), ring tails (Afghan), sword or saber tails (GSD), tufted tails (Chinese Crested), or sickle tails (Chi)! Whew!

Are you a kid who has always wondered if dogs can cry? Or what dog food tastes like? Or why dogs lick us?

Everything Dog is a fun fact book a kid will want to keep around and keep handy after reading it, just in case a younger brother or sister has the same questions someday! And there are lots of great photos.