Dog in Boots

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When readers open this book they are greeted with a very adorable dog who is concerned with his shoes, or rather, lack thereof. In this story this dog encounters different situations and he decides that he needs different shoes for each situation. He then goes to the shoe maker and requests the shoe that he thinks he needs and the shoe maker creates it, but in the end, he figures out, with the shoemaker's help, that he had what he needed all along. The illustrations follow the story perfectly and they illustrate the feelings that the reader gets from the story as well. The illustrations create a sense of playfulness, and the reader is given a sense of what is going on very vividly.

This story includes cultural markers from its author, Greg Gormley. The story, while mainly focused on the precious dog, is given a glimpse of a shoemaker and his life. This glimpse shows readers what a shoemaker does and can do, as well as the culture involved.

Students can use this story during a unit on jobs, and they can discover the different ways that different shoes are made through making their own shoes. Also, students can research shoemakers and the developments that have occurred in the shoemaking industry.

This book was reviewed by Booklist and the review follows.

Booklist Review Excerpt: Dog bounds about happily and humorously with what he had all along, until the final spread and back endpapers, which hint at another sartorial adventure ahead that involves a red hood for riding. With a repetitive text filled with sly, kid-friendly jokes and comical, expressive acrylic paintings, this title exudes storytime fun.

Citations:

Gormley, G. (2011). Dog in boots. Ill by Roberta Angaramo, Great Britain: Gullane Children's Books. ISBN 9780823423477

Naomi Emory