Dogs are Popular! ~ Down Girl and Sit: On the Road

Book Cover Photo Source, Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/On-the-Road/Lucy-A-Nolan/e/9780761452348/?itm=2, accessed May 6, 2009.


Bibliography


Nolan, Lucy. 2005. DOWN GIRL AND SIT: ON THE ROAD. Ill. by Mike Reed. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Corporation. ISBN 0761452346


Summary
DOWN GIRL AND SIT: ON THE ROAD is narrated by a dog who believes her name is "Down Girl." She and her best friend "Sit," who lives next door, have many adventures together which are all told from the perspective of the dogs. Down girl spend her days chasing squirrels, talking to Sit over the fence, and protecting her master. This easy chapter book is fun for students of all ages. For first and second graders it is a great chapter book that is on their level. Third and fourth graders will love hearing it read out loud and may understand more of the humor than younger readers. My favorite chapter is entitled "The Lady in the White Coat" and is about a visit to the vet. I loved it when Rruff (Down Girl's master) was trying to get Down Girl to come out from under the bed so he drops a doughnut near it. "Ruff dropped a doughnut near the bed. He wanted me to think it was an accident. Did he really think I was going to fall for that? Did he really think I would come out for a doughnut? I came out for the doughnut." This book is a fun and easy read that will have readers laughing out lound and begging for more.

Note: DOWN GIRL AND SIT: ON THE ROAD was the Texas Bluebonnet Award winner in 2007-2008.

Reviews

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Gr 1-3-Narrated from a dog's point of view, this easy chapter book covers the hilarious antics of two canine friends who puzzle through and explain life with their masters. Even though this title is a follow-up to Down Girl and Sit: Smarter Than Squirrels (Marshall Cavendish, 2004), it stands alone. In one of the four episodes, the pups enjoy a car ride as their ticket to see the world. In another, while camping with her human, Down Girl turns into "Wild Dog" and stalks squirrels, surmising that they may be the creatures she had chased away from her home in the city. Then, she runs when a rabbit ("What kind of squirrel was this?") twitches its nose. A small black-and-white illustration appears on almost every page, supporting the text's humor. Anyone who has owned a dog can relate to these tales. Children will be delightfully challenged by the perspective and ask for more."-Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA

KIRKUS REVIEWS: "Down Girl and Sit are best friends. They are also dogs, dogs who enjoy the finer things of canine life, including chasing squirrels, bothering their masters and eating crumbs. The charming first-canine point of view really works here-partly because Nolan keeps her dog's voice steady and humorous, and partly because she really seems to think like a dog. The first of the four linked stories involves a drive to the beach and an exciting episode where the car's brake fails and the two dogs "drive" down the beach. Because Down Girl sees the world through canine glasses, the reader is treated to some amusing takes on dog behavior. For instance, when Down Girl and Sit find a bag of two doughnuts, they have to decide who gets them. "Hmm. There were two dogs, two masters, and two doughnuts. That sounded about right. Thank goodness dogs don't know math. That makes all our decisions easy. We ate the doughnuts." Kids will want to curl up with their best friend and laugh at the adventures of Down Girl and Sit." (Fiction. 6-9)