The Little Dog in the Middle of the Road
by Sharon P Stanley
Deidre Carr, illustrator
Silver Tongue Press
Website: Little Dog does NOT want to be left at home with Mrs. Thistleberry while his person goes away. He escapes through the fence and begins a search for his person that will take him far from home. But the world is a big place for a little dog. A charming tale for anyone who has ever lost – or found – a dog.
Opening: “Once there was a little dog that lived with a pleasant person in a peasant house on a peasant street.”
Review
The Little Dog in the Middle of the Road is a charming short story about a determined little dog who cannot stand being away from his person. “Mom” is going away for a few days and Little Dog is to stay in the backyard. To Little Dog, it does not matter how long she is gone, any amount of time is a long time. I love the illustration of Little Dog hanging his head. He’d just been told his person was leaving for a while. This one illustration shows us he will not be staying put, as told.
Another clue is the neighbor trusted to deliver meals to Little Dog. He knows this woman does not like little dogs. He will get his meals, but no companionship, no games, no throwing a ball, or playing chase. Just his meals. If his person never makes it home . . . Little Dog panics. He must find his person. This is an extreme case of separation anxiety.
Little Dog takes off to look for his person. He walks all day until his legs ached, yet he does not find her. He does wise up, just a bit too late. Little Dog realizes he should have stayed in the yard as told. Problem is he’s lost. So Little Dog sits down in the middle of the road. He is trying to let his person find him. She never drove by, but a girl a red truck did. She takes Little Dog home, feeds him, and gives him a comfortable bed where he falls fast asleep.
The next day, the girl with the red truck tells Little Dog she must leave for a while. Little Dog is to stay in the garage until she returns. Little Dog once again panics, thinking he will never see his person and she will not be able to find him. Little Dog is in a new area and is lost with no idea which way to walk. Little Dog does the only thing he can think of that will work: he sits in the middle of the road. Little Dog is sure his person will drive down the road and find him.
The illustrations are nicely drawn. They also contain a surprise for adventurous readers. One item appears in each illustration. Can you find it? What is it? I thought it was a favorite dog toy. It’s not a toy. I do know this item represents the author’s own little dog. This “find it” treat is not the only small detail that shows the illustrator’s creativity. Check out the dog’s ears. The ears are the Little Dog’s most expressive feature. In one illustration the girl’s hand could be touching Little Dog’s ears, if he had not tilted his head away from the girl’s hand. Little Dog’s person is more important than a scratch behind the ears.
One thing I did not like, and I have seen in several other books, is an illustration repeated. The two images of Little Dog sitting in the middle of the road are identical. Sure, the situation is the same, but the scene is not. Maybe I am nitpicking, but I simply do not like repeated illustrations. Adding one other detail would have distinguished the two scenes.
In the end, Mom comes to get Little Dog. I am glad he got back home, but how did the girl know his person was coming to get him? I would have liked more of an ending and the story deserves a better ending. Kids will love the story of Little Dog and may not mind or notice the sudden ending. They will be overjoyed Little Dog is going home, to his own bed and with his own person. I must admit, I was happy for the cutie, too. The story of Little Dog is perfect for young children. It is short enough to fit their attention spans, has some repetitions they will soon recite, and Little Dog’s situation is relatable. The writing is good and well-timed. The Little Dog in the Middle of the Road makes a wonderful story time or bedtime story.
An interview with author Sharon P. Stanley
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The Little Dog in the Middle of the Road
by Sharon P Stanley website blog facebook twitter book twitter pinterest goodreads goodreads2
Deidre Carr, illustrator linkedin
Silver Tongue Press website blog facebook linked
Released November 3, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-9892546-5-6
28 pages
Age 4 to 8
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THE LITTLE DOG IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. Tex copyright © 2013 by Sharon P. Stanley. Illustrations copyright © 2013 by Deidre Carr. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Silver Tongue Press.
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This sounds cute. And you beat me. 😡
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Thanks Erik!
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I beat you to the review Awlright! Here I had conceded to you on your last post, but now I think it has ended in a tie! You didn’t win, I didn’t win, we tied! We tied. Take that youngin’ 😀
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Yes, I beat you!!!! finally.
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It will be the last.
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Nice review, Sue! I DO love animal stories. This looks like a cute story, but please, little dog, stay out of the road because, there’s another name for a little dog in the middle of the road, it’s called “road kill”. Yikes! Sorry to be morbid.
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Aw! Now LOBO! Those kinds of words are not allowed on this kid-pet friendly site. Never say road kill. Road kill is a scary word. You say road kill and dogs get nervous. Even a few cats will shiver hearing “road kill.”
Besides, it is in bad taste to say road kill in mixed company. Even if there were no canines and felines on this site, road kill is just a nasty word. Road kill, road kill, road kill. Sounds horrible doesn’t it. Unfortunately, the woods where you roam may one day become a road and then road kill will be a possibility for wolves. Then you could become road kill.
For no reason whatsoever is ANYONE to write the words ROAD KILL on Kid Lit Reviews!
Only happy words here! Please do not say your old pack eats road kill. That is just Yucky!
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Sue, every one of your replies to this post’s comments are HILARIOUS! lol
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I’ll consider myself warned. No yucky words allowed. : )
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Yucky?! Yucky?! That is not a happy word. I’ve had a YUCKY day! Now, is that happy? Lobo and Raven are YUCKY friends, how not happy. I guess I must send you a list of happy words. Won’t that be yucky, ducky? Wolves, what are you gonna do with them!? Hey, next year you should write a new book and I’ll give you the title; Lobo’s Howliween Scare.
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Another tail(or tongue) lashing? I just can’t catch a break. Only HAPPY words from now on. Happy, happy, happy. Thanks for the Halloween book idea!
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You are welcome. Is it done? Can I review it this week? I’ll redo in October. And no tail lashing or tale lashing, or extreme howling on my part.
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Yikes is right! Whew, thankfully this wasn’t the case for Little Dog!
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This does sound wonderful! And the best part: “his person”! 🙂 Now I just need to find someone to buy it for. (Turns away, plotting…)
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Anyone who loves dogs will love this book. And if the dog is a midget dog, or just plain small, they’ll like it even more. It is also a cautionary tale. Never leave home without your dog. Merry Christmas. 🙂
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Lol. I have a friend in her 80s who would agree with that last statement! 🙂 Merry Christmas!
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I have a friend who bought one for her “grand dog!” Good friend huh?!
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Definitely! 🙂
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I don’t know where “person” came from but it just popped into my head. hmmm, I think Little Dog told me himself!
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It’s genius and so TRUE! 🙂
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That little dog can take a street nap while he’s in the middle of the road. That’s where I take my best naps of the summer! If Mom ever takes my leash off, I plan to head directly for the middle of the road. Definitely.
Love and licks,
Cupcake
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Cupcake, I am so glad your mom has you on a short leash. Naps are best taken in a soft, crunchy bed near a heat source in the winter and a cool fan in the summer. Just be careful laying by the fireplace on Christmas Eve. That Santa is a BIG man. He’ll plop down that chimney and make mincemeat pie out of you. (This is why I refuse to eat mincemeat pie.) 🙂
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Oh Cupcake, do be careful!
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Sue, I KNOW I heard something about this book elsewhere, but my mind refuses to pull it up! It was inspired by a true story with a dog in the middle of the road, right?
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I don’t know if it was based on a true story, but I am positive somewhere there is a little dog–and other sizes, too–missing their person and then working themselves up into a panic. How many actually go and sit in the middle of the road I do not know. I do know you won’t find any cats doing this. 🙂
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Yes it was! Here on our farm.
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I knew it! I knew it! I KNEW IT! lol
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Donna, you crack me up! So glad you are here to lighten up this site! 😀
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Sue 😀 I’m bound to get excited when I actually recall something correctly. It’s worthy of celebration on my end! 😀 And it’s you and Erik who can be exTREMEly entertaining 😀
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