TOP DOG

Twenty-one different dogs illustrate a variety of familiar idiomatic expressions about dogs.

High-quality photographs present one or more canines modeling with appropriate props to demonstrate such well-known phrases as “raining cats and dogs” or “like a dog with a bone.” The text is set in huge, attractive capital letters, usually with some interesting, thoughtful design flourish. Most of these expressions won’t be familiar yet to younger children, though all of the phrases are well-known to adults. There’s a bulldog (jowls caught midshake) in a wading pool to illustrate “the dog days of summer,” a tiny Yorkie on horseback for “dog and pony show,” and a huge Great Dane taking a drink out of a toilet for “dirty dog.” A pair of adorable Cavalier King Charles spaniels “sleep like a dog” in a nighttime scene complete with a cozy bed and blankets. Two concluding spreads offer thumbnail photographs of each dog with its name and breed and one or two sentences about its real life. These thumbnails are thoughtfully laid out in their exact order within the book, making flipping back to revisit each dog easy and fun. This winning combination of photographs and simple text has potential for use in the classroom for upper elementary through high school students to teach literary devices.

A fresh look at some old expressions, using dogs of all ages to teach some new tricks.