Best in Show
by David Elliott (Author) Raissa Figueroa (Illustrator)
A celebration of the extraordinary and ordinary power of dogs of all kinds, in sly and cheerful verse from celebrated poet David Elliott. Features artwork from an all-star cast of eighteen bestselling and award-winning illustrators.
In so many hearts you're number one! Agile! High-spirited! Obedient! Fun! You hunt. You fish. You search and find. You cheer the old. You guide the blind.
In this ode to our most loyal companions, you'll meet the Labrador Retriever and sixteen other remarkable dogs. There's the Bloodhound, who has a sense of smell one thousand times better than yours or mine. And there's the Irish Wolfhound, the world's tallest dog, who was once the companion of royalty. And we can't forget the mutt.
But that's not all! You'll meet big dogs and small dogs, scruffy dogs and elegant dogs, and dogs from all around the world. Pairing engaging poems with surprising facts, Best in Show is a one-of-a-kind gift and a paw-sitively perfect read-aloud for dog lovers and aspiring pet owners.
Includes illustrations by Elaine Bay, Cátia Chien, Matthew Cordell, Cindy Derby, Flavia Z. Drago, Leo Espinosa, Raissa Figueroa, Julie Flett, Ebony Glenn, Rebecca Green, Emily Hughes, Oge Mora, Kenard Pak, Antoinette Portis, Raúl the Third, Sergio Ruzzier, Charles Santoso, and David Ezra Stein.
Don't miss these titles by David Elliott:
- On the Farm
- In the Wild
- The Seventh Raven
- Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc
- Bull
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Publishers Weekly
This verse survey of different dog breeds draws its energy from spirited language by Elliott (Color the Sky) and friendly dog portraits by 18 artists. Covering breeds ranging from Afghan Hound to Xoloitzcuintli, each spread features a poem, an illustration, and prose text with more information, including little-known and surprising trivia. Kicking off, a hymn of praise to the Labrador retriever ("You hunt. You fish./ You search and find") accompanies vignettes by Ebony Glenn. Charles Santoso contributes a bulldog family portrait ("Head like a melon"). And Cátia Chien portrays a poodle ("An athlete!/ A surprise!/ A tough guy in disguise!") lifting a ship filled with other dogs, while text describes the way poodles' classic haircut warms their joints and vital organs when they retrieve hunters' ducks from cold water. It's not all fancy breeds, either: Oge Mora's collage portrait of a proud mutt accompanies more about the "Everydog." Though a handful of lines feel outmoded ("In spite of their roly-poly physiques, Bulldogs can be quite athletic"), a bouquet of art styles and media, fast-moving verse, and entertaining facts provide varied entryways into this amiable accounting. Ages 4-8. Agent: Kelly Sonnack, Andrea Brown Literary. (Aug.)
Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
Kirkus
Utterly fetching.
ALA/Booklist
This collection of clever, compelling canine odes is a truly tail wagging choice to sit, stay, and savor. Paws-itively delightful.
JUV016000 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | General
JUV070000 - Juvenile Fiction | Poetry (see also Stories in Verse)
Dog breeds
