Week 1 The Poky Little Puppy

Title & Author: The Poky Little Puppy, by Janette S. Lowrey   

Summary: A mischevious little puppy digs under the fence to sneak out with the rest of the puppies, but is always poking around and gets left behind.  His tardiness pays off when he gets home late and eats the dessert denied the other puppies, until one night when his four companions outwit him and teach him a lesson.

Reference:  Lowrey, J. S. (1942). The poky little puppy.  Racine, WI: Western Publishing Company, Inc.

My Impressions: This is one of my favorite books from my childhood.  I remember my mother reading it to me over and over again, along with many of the other Little Golden Books.  I am always looking for copies of this book in used bookstores. Looking at this book now from the perspective of an adult, I see the text as being difficult for young children, due to the syntactic complexity, and think that this book is meant to be read with adult direction. This story surely has a lesson to be made to young readers - don't mess with your siblings and expect to get away with it! The classic art by Gustaf Tenggren has delighted generations of young readers and can be found in many other Little Golden Book stories.

Professional Review: "This 'poky little puppy' and his four naughty littermates who disobey their mother and dig holes under the fence, thus forfeiting their desserts, will provoke cries of delight from grownups who remember the Little Golden Book (now in a bigger trim size) and the softly colored, offbeat drawings. The simple, ageless morality tale hasn't lost its appeal for modern children, either."
The poky little puppy. (2003 Fall). [Review of the book The Poky Little Puppy by Janette S. Lowrey]. The Horn Book, XIV(2), 304. Retrieved from http://www.hbook.com/

Library Uses: While there are a number of "lessons" that can be taught to young children using this book, especially during a storytime, I recommend a more modern use of this timeless classic.  Many public libraries now have programs where children can read to therapy dogs, and I would use this book prior to bringing in the dog, and let it serve as a discussion board to get young children to start talking about dogs and dog behavior.  The puppy sniffs, pounces, digs, eats things he shouldn't, etc.  The librarian could utilize the illustrations to help get young readers to analyze all the things they already know (or don't), about dogs.