The Strange Adventures of Blue Dog (Picture Books)

Rating:
Summary: Everyone has a Blue Dog
Review: The Strange Adventures of Blue Dog has struck some of the people in my office as, well, just *strange*. The idea of a childhood toy taking on a life of it's own struck them as an odd topic for a children's book.

I disagree. Completely.

One of the problems is that adults forget what it's like to be kids where ANYTHING is possible, including an unusually blue toy dog having a mind and curiosities of it's own. While the story is told from the perspective of Blue Dog and not Big Billy (the human child who plays with B.D.), it's soon dawns on the reader that the story IS being told by Big Billy after a fashion.

Children play with toys to stimulate their imagination and, in the case of Billy, to live vicariously through experiences. Billy wants a real dog, so, in his mind, Blue Dog functions as one (including snoozin' with Billy at night). When I read the story, I was immediately transported back in time to my OWN childhood where all my toys took on a secret life of their own (when Toy Story came out, I was first in line to see it!! Childhood fantasy put on the big screen!!) I took care of my toys (like Billy does) because I didn't want them to get hurt or lonely. In my own mind, I sometimes imagined what they would think if they could, and hence they would take on a life of their own. I think that is what the author is trying to do here.

The illustrations add so much to the story that they alone could be the topic of a full-blown essay. Suffice to say that the realistic-yet-stylized illustrations add so much depth to the story line and will deeply draw children in. A HIGHLY recommended book.