Rating: 
Summary: Charming!
Review: A true life tale of a baby's homecoming told from the dog's perspective. Written in the tradition of Beatrix Potter, the author consistently exposes children to the use of effective language and rich words. (No dumbing down here!) The illustrations are marvelous examples of watercolors that an older child could access for inspiration. Ms. L'Engle's additional comments at the end of the story help the readers to feel they know the author a little bit better.
Rating:
Summary: The Other Dog
Review: Author: Christine Davenier This book is basically about a dog who lives in a nice home. During the summer the dog's owner had a baby and the dog was really mad because she wanted to be the center of attention. She was lonely and everyone was busy with the baby. The dog didn't get to have any fun with its owner. The dog is narrating the story and telling us what a wonderful dog she is. At first, the dog thinks the baby was another dog. The dog was really trying to get along with the baby but the owners didn't let her because they might think that the dog might bite the baby. The baby always makes the dog mad because the baby pulls her ears all the time. Finally the baby was beginning to get along with the dog and the dog seems to be getting to know this baby.
I think that parents should read this to their children because this is a wonderful book that could teach children how to behave with pets. This book is really creative because the dog was narrating and I think that the kids will enjoy the book because the dog was mostly the interesting part in the story. I think kids will love to read this over and over.
Rating: 
Summary: Great for an Older Sibling of a New Baby
Review: I have been a fan of Madeleine L'Engle since I first ran across A Wrinkle in Time in my grade school many years ago now. Since then, I have read just about every book she has written and I have never been disappointed. L'Engle is one of the most consistent writers of high quality books that is out there. I'm a little past the age of the target audience for this book but it is a fun little book that older siblings of new babies are sure to enjoy. This was in my mind as my brother and his wife had their second child a few weeks ago. In this book, the family dog has to deal with feelings of jealously at the arrival of a new baby in the house. It is a cute and humorous little story told from the dog's point of view. If you need a gift so that an older sibling doesn't feel left out when the new baby arrives, this is a good choice.
Rating:
Summary: Great for an Older Sibling of a New Baby
Review: I have been a fan of Madeleine L'Engle since I first ran across A Wrinkle in Time in my grade school many years ago now. Since then, I have read just about every book she has written and I have never been disappointed. L'Engle is one of the most consistent writers of high quality books that is out there. I'm a little past the age of the target audience for this book but it is a fun little book that older siblings of new babies are sure to enjoy. This was in my mind as my brother and his wife had their second child a few weeks ago. In this book, the family dog has to deal with feelings of jealously at the arrival of a new baby in the house. It is a cute and humorous little story told from the dog's point of view. If you need a gift so that an older sibling doesn't feel left out when the new baby arrives, this is a good choice.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect for New Parents with A Ego-Driven Dog!
Review: My husband and I are finally expecting our first child. Imagine my delight when I found this book that could have just as easily been written by our dog! This hilarious and whimsical tale is told from the dog's perspective when her owners return with a new baby. She just simply can't comprehend why her owners might need ANOTHER "dog". Afterall, she is cute, smart, and talented. She provides much evidence to support her findings: she only eats once a day, she goes outside to take her of her business. In the end, she realizes that the "other dog" has begun to show an interest in her many talents and decides the other "dog" must have signs of intelligence afterall. Very cute!
Rating:
Summary: Perfect for New Parents with A Ego-Driven Dog!
Review: My husband and I are finally expecting our first child. Imagine my delight when I found this book that could have just as easily been written by our dog! This hilarious and whimsical tale is told from the dog's perspective when her owners return with a new baby. She just simply can't comprehend why her owners might need ANOTHER "dog". Afterall, she is cute, smart, and talented. She provides much evidence to support her findings: she only eats once a day, she goes outside to take her of her business. In the end, she realizes that the "other dog" has begun to show an interest in her many talents and decides the other "dog" must have signs of intelligence afterall. Very cute!
Rating:
Summary: Humorous View of a New Sibling for Preschoolers
Review: On the surface, this story is about a spoiled dog's reaction to a first human baby coming home. The story is told in first dog, with Touche L'Engle-Franklin speaking as narrator. That perspective will provide much surface humor. Underneath that story line is the concept of the adjustments that siblings must make when the second child arrives. At first there is a sense of being displaced, then superiority over the pitiful creature follows, and finally love and connection arrive. The book is improved by an extensive author's note at the end about how the story is based on real-life experiences in her family. The book's main weakness is that it should have had simpler vocabulary so that it could have been used with the younger children who are about to meet their first sibling. You can still do that, but will have to rewrite or paraphrase the text so that the story will be completely understandable. The writing is quite humorous. "First of all, I think you should know that I am the one who wrote this book." "So, I -- Touche L'Engle-Franklin -- write this book, with the assistance of that inferior canine Jo [the baby]." "This summer my mistress went away for several days . . . she brought with her another dog." "I fail to see why I did not satisfy all requirements." The humor builds on the drawbacks of human babies -- they have to be carried, they need diapers (and those have to be changed!), they must be fed several times a day, and they are almost hairless and wear clothes. Over time, Touche takes over watching Jo in the playpen, as they play together through the bars. " . . . [I] come to the unpredictable, surprising, amazing, astonishing, astounding conclusion: in every home there should be at least two dogs!" The book ends with a painted grey paw print. Ms. Davenier's images are cheerful watercolors that feel like they might have been made sometime between the 1930s and 1950s. This gives the book a feeling of heritage and elegance. The details are inked in with soaring spirals that add motion to the images, often showing Touche dancing all around the room over a large two page spread. Reading this book reminded me of our dog's reaction when our oldest came home from the hospital. Skipper, our Sheltie, looked definitely puzzled, but was very interested. Soon, he was patiently letting "the new dog" pull his hair (as long as it wasn't too hard). They became very close companions, and it was a great pleasure to watch them play together. I don't think I would have remembered that experience again except for reading this book. You might also want to encourage your child to address what it might be like to view a new baby in the family from other perspectives. How will the cat who lives next door think about the new baby? In this way, you can make the introduction more comfortable. The best time to do this is while the family is pregnant. Obviously, you also need to train any pets you have to behave around your baby. I remember reading good books on this subject, but don't remember their names at the moment. Be patient with all new dogs . . . and the old dogs and children who will eye them suspiciously!
Rating:
Summary: Humorous View of a New Sibling for Preschoolers
Review: On the surface, this story is about a spoiled dog's reaction to a first human baby coming home. The story is told in first dog, with Touche L'Engle-Franklin speaking as narrator. That perspective will provide much surface humor. Underneath that story line is the concept of the adjustments that siblings must make when the second child arrives. At first there is a sense of being displaced, then superiority over the pitiful creature follows, and finally love and connection arrive. The book is improved by an extensive author's note at the end about how the story is based on real-life experiences in her family. The book's main weakness is that it should have had simpler vocabulary so that it could have been used with the younger children who are about to meet their first sibling. You can still do that, but will have to rewrite or paraphrase the text so that the story will be completely understandable. The writing is quite humorous. "First of all, I think you should know that I am the one who wrote this book." "So, I -- Touche L'Engle-Franklin -- write this book, with the assistance of that inferior canine Jo [the baby]." "This summer my mistress went away for several days . . . she brought with her another dog." "I fail to see why I did not satisfy all requirements." The humor builds on the drawbacks of human babies -- they have to be carried, they need diapers (and those have to be changed!), they must be fed several times a day, and they are almost hairless and wear clothes. Over time, Touche takes over watching Jo in the playpen, as they play together through the bars. " . . . [I] come to the unpredictable, surprising, amazing, astonishing, astounding conclusion: in every home there should be at least two dogs!" The book ends with a painted grey paw print. Ms. Davenier's images are cheerful watercolors that feel like they might have been made sometime between the 1930s and 1950s. This gives the book a feeling of heritage and elegance. The details are inked in with soaring spirals that add motion to the images, often showing Touche dancing all around the room over a large two page spread. Reading this book reminded me of our dog's reaction when our oldest came home from the hospital. Skipper, our Sheltie, looked definitely puzzled, but was very interested. Soon, he was patiently letting "the new dog" pull his hair (as long as it wasn't too hard). They became very close companions, and it was a great pleasure to watch them play together. I don't think I would have remembered that experience again except for reading this book. You might also want to encourage your child to address what it might be like to view a new baby in the family from other perspectives. How will the cat who lives next door think about the new baby? In this way, you can make the introduction more comfortable. The best time to do this is while the family is pregnant. Obviously, you also need to train any pets you have to behave around your baby. I remember reading good books on this subject, but don't remember their names at the moment. Be patient with all new dogs . . . and the old dogs and children who will eye them suspiciously!
Rating:
Summary: the new dog
Review: The Other Dog is the newest of a relatively small number of picture books Madeleine L'Engle has written over the years. Unlike the others, this one is neither about the Austin family nor about a biblical figure. The star of this book is Touché L'Engle-Franklin, a stage-acting poodle. When Touché's owners bring home their first baby, Touché can't figure out why they wanted this "other dog," who doesn't even have a tail! Rated for ages 4-8, the book does not have the limited vocabulary one associates with this age group. I don't personally see that as a problem. For adult L'Engle fans, there's a nice little afterword by the author about the real-life Touché, who became part of Madeleine L'Engle's life at about the same time that she met her husband, the late Hugh Franklin. This isn't L'Engle's best work, but it's fine for what it is. It's a cute little story for children, and also manages to have some interest for the adult L'Engle fan. It's nice to see some new fiction from her, even a short piece like this, as we wait for her upcoming novel about Meg Murry O'Keefe as an adult.
Rating: 
Summary: A real departure, but still worth owning.
Review: The Other Dog is the newest of a relatively small number of picture books Madeleine L'Engle has written over the years. Unlike the others, this one is neither about the Austin family nor about a biblical figure. The star of this book is Touché L'Engle-Franklin, a stage-acting poodle. When Touché's owners bring home their first baby, Touché can't figure out why they wanted this "other dog," who doesn't even have a tail! Rated for ages 4-8, the book does not have the limited vocabulary one associates with this age group. I don't personally see that as a problem. For adult L'Engle fans, there's a nice little afterword by the author about the real-life Touché, who became part of Madeleine L'Engle's life at about the same time that she met her husband, the late Hugh Franklin. This isn't L'Engle's best work, but it's fine for what it is. It's a cute little story for children, and also manages to have some interest for the adult L'Engle fan. It's nice to see some new fiction from her, even a short piece like this, as we wait for her upcoming novel about Meg Murry O'Keefe as an adult.
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