Dog in Boots

Gormley, G. (2011). Dog in boots. Ill. by Roberta Angaramo. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 978-0-8234-2347-7

After reading one of his favorite books, Dog decides he wants to find the perfect pair of shoes for him to wear and use. After seeking the shoemaker, Dog finds that not all shoes will work for everything. Dog cannot run in high heels nor can he scratch behind his ear with flippers. But there is one pair that will work for everything Dog wants to do. His very own paws!

Dog presents to the reader a lesson that all children in one way or another learn eventually, that sometimes what you are looking for is what is already in front of you, it just needs to be recognized. Greg Gormley provides a story of Dog trying to find the right pair of shoes to be or do something that is does not necessarily fit him. Through trials, it is brought to Dog’s attention that he already had the perfect pair of shoes, his paws. Gormley brings in one aspect that highlights European culture, hierarchy. When Dog discovers his own paws, he swims in the Queen’s lake until he is told to leave. This is something that American children and adolescents do not experience on a day-to-day basis and Gormley brings to light a snippet of royalty into his story.  

Other books that could be used to pair with Dog in Boots include the following:
I am the Dog by Daniel Pinkwater

• SBN 978-0060555054

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REVIEWS

Kirkus Reviews

“Inspired by the story “Puss in Boots,” Dog decides that he needs some splendid boots of his own, so he trots off to his local shoe shop to purchase a pair. While the boots are quite handsome, they are not particularly well-suited for digging, so Dog brings them back. Galoshes are great for digging, but not so much for swimming, so... The very appealing illustrations, replete with liveliness, warmth and charm, show Dog as he enthusiastically tries out a variety of footwear options and the ever-patient shopkeeper as he makes helpful suggestions and maintains an unusually generous return policy. After Dog’s failed experiments with the original boots, some galoshes, flippers, high heels and skis, he returns again, asking for “…something that’s good for digging and swimming and scratching and running. Oh, nice and furry too.” Could it be that Dog may already have what he needs? After getting an answer―and having an extremely gratifying romp―Dog returns home to start a new book, this one about a girl with a striking red hood. Uh oh! Children will identify with Dog’s good-natured struggle through trial and error, fall in love with the evocative and funny illustrations and laugh out loud at the satisfying ending. A truly enjoyable selection and a nice follow-up to a favorite fairy tale, just right for reading aloud.  –Kirkus Reviews

I thought this was a cute book that I could use when teaching problem and solution, cause and effect, theme, and so much more. I thought about my special education and LEP populations and how I could use this book for small group intervention.

I read this book as well to my two year old. Each page we identified Dog, shoes, the cat, fish, water, different birds, and of course the ball on the last page. I again asked questions about colors and facial features on both the shoemaker and Dog. Just like any other picture book I read to the youngest of two, I had to read it several times before we could move on to something else.