Good Dog

Gottfried, M. (2005). Good Dog. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.

Brief Annotation: This book presents various breeds of dogs and their personalities through free-verse, mask poems. Breeds found between the covers include the Collie, the Pug, and the Pekingese.

Genre: Picturebook, Poetry, Non-fiction

Grade Level: K-3

Readers who will like this: Dog lovers, poetry appreciators, students with a sense of humor.

Response/Rating (1-4): **** These poems do a wonderful job of introducing children to mask poetry and its possibilities. I think that children will delight in the humorous poems as well as Robert Rahway Zakanitch’s textured dog portraits found on each page, and may be inspired to write poems about their own pets.

One question you would ask before a read aloud: If dogs could speak, what would they say?