On a Lighter Note... THIS IS A DOG by Ross Collins

In case you missed it, I hope you'll click back to the previous post by author/illustrator Richard Jones. His April release of PERDU earned high praise from me, including this line I wrote:

 "Perdu is a very expressive pooch, but remains every inch a dog." 

In that case, little lost Perdu communicates the way dogs do- with heart and expressions and body posture. The fact that both the words and illustrations in this picture book were created by one person assured full communication of the story.

In THIS book, my words can also apply. This dog is a very expressive pooch, but remains every inch a dog. Except for one thing... mastery of a crayon and some impressive literacy skills.

The DOG, in THIS IS A DOG by Ross Collins has equal appeal to Perdu's, and will generate head nods of recognition by dog people, along with grins, chuckles, and outright guffaws. In this case, just a few words combine with remarkable lively and expressive illustrations to succeed in telling THIS DOG's story with drama and delight. The emotional engagement is quite different from PERDU, or from any lost dog story. In fact, This DOG shares some personality traits with MOOSE, in Z IS FOR MOOSE, written by Kelly Bingham and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. Dog is determined to hijack what sets out to be a simple book of animals, with an intended title, MY FIRST ANIMAL BOOK. 

Perhaps Collins invited such a sassy attitude from DOG when he opened the first full spread with THIS IS A DOG, starring the pooch on the cover. Dog should be forgiven for assuming that the book would be about him, right? From that page forward, Dog intrudes on each intended animal, with each showing it is  fully aware of DOG's presence. Kids AND adults will appreciate the range of communication through eye contact and body language between the intended animal and that interloping dog. 

Don't imagine that this is a one-joke book. The action, emotion, humor and heart throughout are irresistible and make each page turn more fun than the first. That doesn't mean that a single reading will suffice, either. The illustration details, nuance of expression, and personality of DOG combine to make a hug-worthy experience that is bound to be a read-it-again favorite.

I won't reveal specifics, and that includes the satisfying final page turn. I will share the delightful dedication, though: 

For my dog, HUGO,

who taught me the meaning of irony

by destroying some of the artwork

from this book.

I leave a bit of a surprise for you on this part, too, since Hugo is granted a little photo cameo with the dedication. I would have wagered money I don't have that Collins is a dog-person, even without that dedication, based on the extent to which he brought dog-ness to this art and story. The dedication was just the kind of unexpected detail and layer of laughter that this book promises on every page. 

Line up the dog-lovers, laughter-lovers, adventure-lovers, and irony-appreciators in your lives and make a list. This is a must have for one and all.