My Favorite Dog
Patsy E. Thomas’ grandchildren inspired her to write My Favorite Dog, a tale about various people’s favorite dogs. Told in rhyme, each vignette is written in the first person and describes a particular dog’s appearance, work, and traits.
This square-shaped paperback contains colorful illustrations of each dog and a blue border on the bottom of the pages contains illustrations of fire hydrants, food bowls, and other items associated with canines. Likewise, folios are placed in a paw print. The orange sans serif font for the type works nicely with the layout and is easy on the eyes.
While Thomas’ rhymes succeed in explaining why each dog is adored, numerous inconsistencies in her writing detract from the overall effectiveness of the book. For example, the rhyming pattern varies throughout the book, from full to half rhymes and from a. a. a. a. to a. b. a. b. to a. a. b. b. to other patterns. The text is set in capital letters and a lack of punctuation and several grammatical errors on the back cover detract from the book’s charm. Unfortunately, the cute punch line at the end loses its strength because of such inconsistencies and leaves the reader—and listener—wondering who “my” refers to throughout the book.
Children will easily recognize many of the behaviors and traits of the dogs and understand why the owners cherish their canine pals. With some polish and work on the rhyme and punctuation, My Favorite Dog would be more enjoyable for young readers.
Reviewed by
Maya Fleischmann
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
