Good Dog, Carl

Alexandra Day (1996), 40 pages

Audience: babies, toddlers

Format: Board book

“Look after the baby, Carl. I'll be back shortly" says mother as she leaves Carl, her trusty Rottweiler to babysit Baby Madeline. Moments later readers are treated the duo's busy afternoon of dancing, eating, getting into mother's makeup drawer, even swimming in the fish tank ... after all the ruckus, Carl dutifully cleans up the mess, gives baby a bath, and puts baby back safely in the crib. When mother returns, little does she know ... the wild adventure Carl and the baby have had! Children will delight in this book's absurdity! The images are endearing and sweet, easy for pre-readers to follow along and create their own stories. Although this is a wordless picture book ... the narrative is just as engaging as a traditional text. Day's characters reappear in a series of Carl books - highly recommended for babies and toddlers!

Reviewed by: Katharine Quinn, SJSU MLIS Student

If you liked this book, you may like: Tuesday (Caldecott award) by David Wiesner, Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crocket Johnson, or Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie dePaola

Other books by this author: Carl’s Sleepy Afternoon, You’re a Good Dog, Carl, and Carl Goes Shopping