Review by Booklist Review
This oversize picture book presents a near-exhaustive array of dogs from around the world. In his distinctive style of cartooning, Medway groups this colossal collection of canines into 10 categories with a short caption under each heading. The sections display stylishly formatted and labeled depictions of well-known breeds as well as a slew of lesser-known pups. Young and old audiences alike will be quick to identify a boxer, a beagle, or a Siberian husky. But how about a Samoyed, a Norbottenspets, or a Chinese crested? Medway includes a full double-page spread dedicated to puppies, with dotted trails connecting the pups to their adult versions. The final pages offer a dog breed index filled with fascinating facts about every dog breed included in the book. Though the information is slight, and the relative size of each dog could lead to confusion (a bearlike Bouvier des Flandres appears approximately the same size as a Welsh corgi, for instance), the genial illustrations and broad scope of breeds will delight any dog-lover.--Lock, Anita Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Dogs are grouped into categories that include "working dogs," "toy dogs," "terrier dogs," and "mixed-breed dogs" (sprocker or bassetmatian, anyone?) in this oversize visual guidebook, akin to a picture dictionary. The dogs stand against white backgrounds, drawn in a cartoon style that highlights their individual physical attributes, and are identified by breed name. An index provides brief descriptions of the 300 included breeds ("This small, fluffy black dog was originally used as a watchdog and for catching rats," Medway writes of the Schipperke), and a playful spread dedicates to puppies features a web of dotted lines that connect adult dogs to their offspring. Though readers won't learn a great deal about any of the breeds, many readers will be happy simply to peruse the pages and meet dogs they've never heard of before. Ages 3-7. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3-Chinese crested, English cocker spaniel, puli, corgi, and more: breeds both familiar and unfamiliar are positively bursting out of this oversize volume. A table of contents breaks down the dogs by general groups and provides a bit of information. There's a spread for each of the seven major categories (working dogs, hound dogs, sporting dogs, and so on) as well as sections on European, world, and mixed-breed dogs. A final spread is devoted to puppies (the authors explain that "some puppies look very different from the adult dogs they turn into"). Unlike most animal reference guides, this one lacks photographs and contains very little text. Each playful image is accompanied by the breed's name, and a listing at the end features a brief description of each dog, along with a page number indicating where in the book the canine is located. However, what this offering lacks in content it more than makes up for in personality. Medway imbues each of his canines with individuality (an admirable feat, given the sheer number of dogs covered), from the sad-eyed bullmastiff to the scowling bulldog to the cheery American Eskimo dog. These expressive creatures have a gentle, almost old-fashioned look to them, but the artist never veers into anthropomorphism. VERDICT Those seeking facts for school reports should stick to more traditional resources, but dog lovers will spend hours poring over these winsome illustrations.-Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
