HOT DOG

HOT DOG by Doug Salati

How many of you have checked out this year's Caldecott winner? If you haven't, Hot Dog by Doug Salati is worth it! No matter if you have a dog or not, anyone can relate to hot summer days and the desire to find a quiet, cool spot!

We recently spent a week at the beach, and after reading this book I was envisioning bringing our Australian Shepherd to the beach to see how she would act in the waves and on the beach. (This dream was short lived with the thought of packing her into our Suburban with 5 kids, and making the almost 14 hour trip with her serious carsickness issues.) The point is this is the type of book that pulls you in and you can envision!

Since it's a Caldecott winner, let's talk artwork for a minute. This isn't your traditional, beautiful art book. It has a cartoonish feel to it, but it's fantastic none the less! It gives the book an element of fun since we are dealing with a sweet, little dog. The first several pages are filled with lots of reds, oranges, and yellows as heat resonates off the pages! As soon as we leave the city the color palette changes to blues and greens and an air of Ahhhh fills our minds! Delightful!

One last note. If you need a fun way to teach alliteration and onomatopoeia, this is it! The pages are filled with examples. The moral of the story, pass this one on to all your kiddos, no matter their age!