Review by Booklist Review
While many dogs dig, Doug, the master digger, has next-level skill. After turning his human family's backyard into a minefield of holes, Doug digs his way to the White House, where he pauses for a brief self-guided tour before burrowing on to various random locations. Spot illustrations show Doug popping up in Hollywood, an African savanna, a bowling alley, the Easter Islands (where he accidentally topples one of the moai statues), a golf course, and, eventually, China. Back home, Doug is scolded, hugged, and tucked into bed, where he continues digging via dreams filled with colorful, fantastic creatures. Crisp acrylic-and-oil illustrations complement Doug's perky, happy-go-lucky nature and the over-the-top tour. The format fluctuates between standard picture-book design (full-page or spot art with accompanying text) and pages with enlarged text and select letters depicted by dirt piles or with the text partially created by Doug's tunnels. Add in the lively rhyming text and you've got a storytime showstopper that's also well-suited for solitary viewings. Four paws up for digger Doug.--Randall Enos Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Doug is a dog who really likes to dig. He digs his way to Hollywood, the White House (where he tears through the floor of the Oval Office), a mummy's tomb, a mountain summit, Easter Island (where he accidentally knocks over a stone moai), and eventually finds himself-where else?-upside-down in China. A dog who loves to dig isn't the most original concept, but Myers's (Battle Bunny) creative, acrylic-and-oil-paint illustrations draw out the humor in Doug's adventures. The artwork frequently doubles as typography: mounds of dirt form the m's in "many miles of dirt" and "mounds of mud," and Doug's tunnels take the shape of various letters in the repeating refrain, "Oh boy, did Doug dig!" Wilson (Bear Snores On) maintains a light, playful tone with loose rhymes and lots of alliteration, making this a fun readaloud. And what does Doug do when he's been tucked into bed in his doghouse? He digs his way into his owners' bedroom, where he has colorful, surrealistic dreams of digging. Ages 4-8. Agent for both: Steven Malk, Writers House. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Doug, the pup with a big goofy doggy grin, loves to dig. He digs for miles and miles in all directions. He makes big holes. He finds all sorts of treasures. He digs his way into the White House and far off lands. Frustrated, Doug's family scolds him and puts him in the doghouse, where he digs into the house and crawls into bed with his family. Acrylic-and-oil paint illustrations in bright colors with cartoonlike characters complement the variety of ways that Doug explores his obsession. Scenes of underground tunnels studded with whimsical details abound. Illustrations depicting Doug's head popping up aboveground in new lands offers the opportunity for conversational prompts. Just the right amount of text, sometimes standard typeset and sometimes a creative part of the illustrations make Doug's adventures immersive. Additionally, the prose contains both tongue-twisty alliterations and cleverly written rhymes. -VERDICT As a picture book simply about a dog who digs, there is much for readers to see, hear, and take delight in, including an ending with an imaginative twist. All of these elements make this book a standout among goofy dog picture books.-Mindy -Hiatt, Salt Lake County Library Services © Copyright 2018. 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.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A large, golden-brown dog named Doug spends all his time and energy digging huge holes and extensive tunnels, with some surprising results. The rollicking, rhyming text details all Doug's digging with lots of wordplay with the dog's name and the words "dig" and "dug." At first Doug's tunnels in his backyard are fairly realistic, but soon his frantic digging moves into more fantastical feats, as he has a burrowing contest with a squirrel, excavates a tunnel into an old gold mine, and bores his way to the White House lawn. Following a tour, Doug burrows back down through the floor of the Oval Office, surprising the president, a woman of color. His excavation efforts take him around the world, meeting people of different ethnicities and skin tones, with one spread appearing to be upside down as Doug digs all the way to China. Bold illustrations in acrylic and oil paints incorporate some of the text into the art, with individual letters or words serving as some of the underground tunnels. A concluding spread shows Doug's rather nightmarish dream about digging his way into another planet, where some strange, otherworldly creatures greet him. While Doug's adventures are spirited and amusing, the frenetic energy is a bit strained, and the repeated refrain of "oh boy, did Doug DIG!" wears thin by the time Doug tunnels his way into his owners' bed for his dream sequence. The combination of a perky, naughty dog and lots of dirt and mud will appeal to kids who like a story of an adventurous pooch. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
