It's a Dog's Life: How Man's Best Friend Sees, Hears, and Smells the World

A wisecracking dog narrates this off-the-cuff look at the "secret life" of his species. Goodman (See How They Run) opens with a brief overview of dogs' rapport with early humans and their subsequent roles (honed through breeding) as hunters, herders, haulers, and guide dogs. Noting "we take this best friend business very seriously," the canine narrator then offers an anecdotal discussion of dogs' sharp hearing, keen sense of smell, variable eyesight ("we're not the best at seeing details"), and methods of communication, including barking, tail wagging, and body language. Providing solid likenesses of a range of breeds, Slonim's (10 Turkeys in the Road) cartoons suit the upbeat, comedic tone of the text ("We pee on every rock and tree for good reason. Think of that telephone pole as a newspaper or pee-mail"). Additional information from "a human point of view" closes out the book and expands on topics covered earlier ("The section of a dog's brain devoted to smell is forty times bigger than in human ones"). An agreeable and enlightening jumble of facts and humor. Ages 6-9. (July)

Gr 1-5--Susan E. Goodman's nonfiction book (Flash Point, 2012), with hilarious illustrations by David Slonim, explains the real meaning behind your dog's every move. Who knew they had such a secret life? All is revealed about "how man's best friend sees, hears and smells the world." For example, with 220 million special cells in their noses (compared to our mere 5 million, ), no wonder dogs are obsessed with sniffing the fire hydrants. Insights abound in this clever recording as the history of human-canine interaction is traced. The start of a beautiful friendship with dogs began as an epiphany: "Ah, a garbage disposal and watchdog in one!" So, humans began breeding dogs to do other work: hunting, guarding, herding, and hauling. In modern times, their superior snouts have been used to catch criminals, find missing people in rubble, and sniff out drugs and even bedbugs. While Johnny Heller provides a nuanced narration of the humorous text, the audio falls flat without a scrap of musical introduction or sound effects. With a Woof/English Dictionary included, it cries out for doggie sound effects at the very least to enhance the meaning and auditory experience. Point of view is contrasted through the use of a female voice articulating for people, while Heller's wisecracking voice expresses the canine. At the risk of sounding barking mad, a few well-placed yowls, woofs, or pants would have gone a long way towards transforming the audiobook into a rollicking, revelatory expose.--Lonna Pierce, MacArthur and Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, Binghamton, NY

"An agreeable and enlightening jumble of facts and humor."—"Publishers Weekly"