I Didn't Do It: A Spirited Picture Book About a Mischievous Puppy for Kids (Ages 4-8)

I Didn't Do It: A Spirited Picture Book About a Mischievous Puppy for Kids (Ages 4-8)

What makes a puppy's day complete? Swimming and then shaking water all over you. Catching "presents" for you and then bringing them inside the house. Rolling in your nice wool sweater. Snuggling in your lap. In their second ode to canine companions, Patricia MacLachlan, Emily MacLachlan Charest, and Katy Schneider once again offer an irresistible glimpse into the mischievous canine mind. Captured here are adorable confessions and spirited accounts of the things that puppies do—and don't do—while in search of love, adventure, and treats from the table. PreS-Gr 3–Distinct puppy personalities shine through in 14 poems. As in the companion Once I Ate a Pie (HarperCollins, 2006), the free verses are told from each dog's point of view. A small terrier objects to his owner's “Rules” and offers up his own code of conduct: “Drooling is good….Get muddy. Be happy. Howl!” A black Labrador retriever with woebegone eyes staring straight at readers sits in a bathtub and itemizes “What I Don't Like.” The list includes “My food/I like yours better./The mailman/Every single day he comes!” Schneider's striking oil paintings not only capture the impulsive and impetuous nature of pups, but also show such tender moments as newborns, “Born in the soft overcoat quiet of someone's closet,” nestled together. An irresistible treat for animal lovers. Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada © Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. What makes a puppy's day complete? Swimming and then shaking water all over you. Catching "presents" for you and then bringing them inside the house. Rolling in your nice wool sweater. Snuggling in your lap. In their second ode to canine companions, Patricia MacLachlan, Emily MacLachlan Charest, and Katy Schneider once again offer an irresistible glimpse into the mischievous canine mind. Captured here are adorable confessions and spirited accounts of the things that puppies do—and don't do—while in search of love, adventure, and treats from the table. Patricia MacLachlan (1938-2022) was the celebrated author of many timeless books for young readers, including Sarah, Plain and Tall , winner of the Newbery Medal. She was also the author of many beloved picture books, a number of which she cowrote with her daughter, Emily. Emily MacLachlan Charest lives with her husband, her children, Sofia and Nicholas, two dogs, and one oversized cat, Romeo, who thinks he's a dog. She works with young children. She is the coauthor of Bittle , Painting the Wind , Once I Ate a Pie , and other books. She lives in Massachusetts. Katy Schneider lives in Northampton, Massachusetts, with her husband, Dave, and three children, Olive, Mae, and Ellis. She is the illustrator of Painting the Wind and Once I Ate a Pie and exhibits her paintings nationwide.