BOOKS

What Dog Knows

by Sylvia Vanden HEEDE
tr. from Dutch by Bill Nagelkerke. illus. by Marije Tolman. 124p. Gecko. Sept. 2016. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781776570362.
COPY ISBN
Gr 3–6—Dog and Wolf are cousins. Dog is smart, while Wolf is curious and loves talking in rhyme. This illustrated import from the Netherlands centers on their friendship, with a healthy dose of nonfiction information as the canines investigate high-interest topics such as robots, dinosaurs, mummies, skeletons, pirates, and more. Occasional hands-on projects are showcased for readers to make and create, while sporadic quizzes check comprehension of vocabulary. Some topics are dished up with a slice of dark humor, but the entire book exudes a quirky charm. Spot and full-page images add to the volume's zany presentation and make it a great choice for reluctant readers.
VERDICT This companion to Wolf and Dog is a beautifully illustrated and unusual book sure to tickle the funny bone of independent readers.
Reviewed by Helen Foster James, University of California at San Diego
An odd mix of story, facts, crafts, and quizzes on popular topics ranging from mummies to dinosaurs to rockets. Book-reading Dog and clueless cousin Wolf (Wolf and Dog) argue about these subjects and more throughout four topical chapters. The information is interesting, the tidy spot- and full-page art excellent. However, the quizzes and activities are either silly or irrelevant, and the whole feels disjointed.
 , Oct 01, 2016

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