Book Review: DogKu by Andrew Clements

Bibliographic Citation:

Clements, Andrew. 2007. Dogku. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 068985823X

Book Review: 

Andrew Clements the author of popular books series Jake Drake, has done it again. This clever book is sure to be a hit for all dog lovers. This is a story about a dog who finds a new home and is learning to adjust to his new environment. The reader is in the "dogs" shoes and gets to know "Mooch's" emotions and feelings about his new home. At the end there is a delightful surprise that will be sure to make you smile!

Clements has created a poetry book that is not like all other poetry books. Haiku's are mostly about nature and this books topic is very kid friendly, dogs. Clements does follow the pattern of a traditional Haiku, with the 5-7-5 layout of syllables. Each page is a about a new activity or feeling in the dogs life. The picture book format is fun for students and will even attract "non poetry lovers" due to the pictures and words inside this book. 

I loved how Clements haiku's are written from the dogs perspective and think that this will be fun for kids to be in the "dogs" shoes (paws). The haiku's are easy to read and pare perfectly with Bowers illustrations. The illustrations are bright and colorful and add more delightful details to the story. After reading this story, memories of the your pets first days will come flooding back with this heartwarming tale of a dog named Mooch. 

Spotlight Poem:

Scratch, sniff, eat, yawn, nap.
Dreams of rabbits and running. 
Could life be sweeter? 

Activity: 

Throughout this book, we are reading about Mooch's life through his eyes. A fun follow up activity to this book, would be to have students brainstorm activities and things their pets do when they are gone. Once they have brainstormed several activities, students can turn it into a haiku about their pet.