A First Guide to Dogs: Understanding Your Very Best Friend

by John Bradshaw (Author) Clare Elsom (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

"Perceptive and engaging--essential reading for anyone seeking greater understanding of their four-legged best friends."--Kirkus, starred review.

Featuring fun illustrations and easy how-tos from animal expert Dr. John Bradshaw!

Uncovering the secret lives of pets, Dr. John Bradshaw invites young readers to learn more about their closest companions: their dogs! Told from the point of view of Rusty the Terrier, this lively, illustrated book gives kids a front-seat view to the everyday lives of dogs, sharing lessons and growing children into the best pet owners they can be.

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Kirkus

Starred Review

Perceptive and engaging—essential reading for anyone seeking greater understanding of their four-legged best friends.


School Library Journal

Starred Review

Gr 2-4--This charming piece of expository literature from a dog expert and animal welfare scientist shares fascinating canine facts inside a sweet story of a fictional rescue dog named Rusty. Adopted by a light-skinned family of four, Rusty experiences a loving home life for the first time, enjoying walks to the park, a cozy bed, and affectionate care and playtime with his owners. Along the way, Bradshaw explains how dogs experience the world through their senses, primarily the sense of smell. Readers will be fascinated to learn how the inner workings of a dog's snout function, their millions of turbinates allowing them to detect smells that are days old and even determine the direction the animal they're sniffing out was traveling! Bradshaw also explains how dogs use their body language to communicate and how little of our language they understand, especially how our angry tones can be confusing for them. With sweet cartoon illustrations throughout, this sweet book helps narrative readers understand exactly how to build a strong relationship with their fluffy friend. VERDICT A paws-itively perfect pick for all early elementary collections.--Abby Bussen

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
John Bradshaw
Dr. John Bradshaw (he/him) is an anthrozoologist, animal welfare scientist, and Director of the Anthrozoology Institute at the University of Bristol. He is also a New York Times bestselling author.

Clare Elsom (she/her) is an illustrator and author, and the creator of the Harriet & Horace series. She has illustrated dozens of children's books and has been a guest at multiple literary festivals.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9780593521830
Lexile Measure
980
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Penguin Workshop
Publication date
June 13, 2023
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF003060 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Animals | Dogs
JNF003170 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Animals | Pets
JNF053060 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Social Topics | Friendship
Library of Congress categories
Dogs
Training

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