SHOW DOG
Written by Diane Corrado, Illustrated by Robin Kramer Maybe you've seen Christopher Guest's movie spoof, Best In Show. Well, now, here's the real thing -- a book about show dogs and their owners -- with a coloring book and CD, too! Diane Corrado has written a wonderful children's book called Show Dog, with kid-friendly drawings of many pedigree show dogs by Robin Kramer. Children are introduced to the world of show dogs from the cute Chihuahua to the big Great Dane. Children can identify different types of dogs by sight and by name while learning about the lifestyle of a show dog owner. For example, the illustration of the Chinese Crested with its owner drowining in a sea of dirty dishes in the background shows how household chores can sometimes take a back seat to the lovable dogs. This is a good book for children who love animals and may want to work with animals. Robin Kramer's illustrations capture the friendliness of many different breeds. The best illustrations show the mischievousness that children will giggle at. Dalmations, cross-eyed and eager to play, press their noses and paws up against a window; a Brittany Spaniel and Pekingese, one slobbering on the desk and one chewing a bone, coax their owner from the computer to play; and the Lhasa Apsos, peeking out from behind a couch, roll around and shed all over the place. These scenes are a delight! The book is accompanied by a CD with a catchy song also called "Show Dog", as co-written by Dine Corrado and Mark Eisemann and sung by Corrado. The sheet music for the song is included in the book so that children and their parents may sing along to fun lines like "Now the housekeeping suffered but we never cared 'cause it's only a few nose prints and a little more hair!" The song is simple and catchy enough that those who play instruments may also play along. The song was chosen as the theme song for a documentary on show dogs by award-winning filmmaker, Leslye Abbey, called Caution: Show Dogs. The documentary was signed to international distribution by the Cinema Guild of NYC. The book Show Dog works on many learning and creative levels. Children learn about the different types of show dogs, the lifestyle of the show dog owner, playing and listening to music, and counting the number of dogs (twenty-two in all). I would recommend this book for children ages three and up. There is also a Show Dog coloring book which features the same drawings as are in the book, but the spaces are left blank so the children may color them in. Choosing colors for the dogs is another way for children to enter the world of show dogs and express their own creativeness. Both Show Dog and the Show Dog coloring book will be available online at www.21stcenturymusicradio.com. They both make wonderful gifts for your child. - Kate Donohue
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