How To Get A Dog



A Small Brown Dog with a Wet Pink Nose
by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen
illus by Linzie Hunter

We're first introduced to Amelia in her room, where she's showing her parents an illustration of a dog. She's surrounded by a dog scrapbook, stuffed dogs, a dog puppet, pictures of dogs, dog slippers, a leash, a dog bowl...but no dog. Every day she asks her parents, "May I have a small brown dog with a wet pink nose?" But her mother always says, "Oh, no" and her father always says, "We're just not ready for a dog."

One morning she changes her tactic, and asks her parents, "But if we did have a dog, could we name him Bones?" Yes, they could. Throughout the day, she continues to ask questions relating to "if we had a dog." Finally, before bed, her last question concerns what would happen if they had a dog and he got lost. Her father assures her they wouldn't stop looking for the dog.

The next day, Amelia wakes up with an imaginary dog - a small brown dog with a wet pink nose named Bones. Her parents have to be careful not to let the dog out, not to sit on the dog...even though they don't see him. Bones begins to do everything with Amelia, until the day she wakes up and he is gone. And remember, her father has already assured her they would look for their missing dog until he was found. Off they go to look for Bones, and sure enough, they end up finding a small brown dog with a wet pink nose...one who is quite willing to be called Bones.

This book is clever, so clever! It's fun, and older kids will enjoy recognizing how Amelia's plan came together at the end, when she gets her dog. The brightly-colored illustrations provide lots to look at  - the illustrations and the length make this book a better fit for one-on-one reading, or reading with a small group, as opposed to a storytime. Invisible Bones is outlined with dashes, so you can tell he's not really there. Younger kids may need a bit more discussion to really understand what's happening - that Amelia has a plan, but this is a don't-miss book!

Reviewed from library copy