Children's Book Review: Don't Lick the Dog: Making Friends with Dogs

Don't Lick the Dog:  Making Friends with Dogs
Written and illustrated by:  Wendy Wahman
Published by:  Henry Holt and Company, 2009

from goodreads.com:
Meeting a new dog is exciting, but it can also be scary. This humorous how-to manual shows kids the best ways to interact with unfamiliar dogs, providing helpful tips about all sorts of dog behavior. Children often don’t understand what dogs’ actions mean and can misinterpret a threatening signal for a friendly one and vice versa. Kids and parents will return to Wendy Wahman’s playful illustrations again and again for useful reminders: Slow Down. Stay very still. And remember, don’t lick the dog!

* For kids (like my own children!) who aren't comfortable around dogs, this is a great book to show them how to interact with these animals.  Told in rhyme, this book gives tips to help kids understand dog behavior.  The book reinforced what we have already taught our children, that you need to ask the owner before you go up to pet a dog that you don't know.  However, even I learned new things from this book, like crossing your arms and turning your back to a dog that jumps up.  The pages and illustrations are really bright and colorful! 

Family Rating: 1 thumb up.