Review - A Dog Wearing Shoes

A Dog Wearing Shoes
by Sangmi Ko
Date: 2015
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: hardcover
Source: borrowed

When Mini finds a small moppet of a dog, with fluffy ears, no collar, and wearing yellow booties, she understandably wants to take it home. Despite Mom's insistence that the dog probably already has a family, Mini gets attached and is awfully proud of her new pal, who can sing, sit, and give both paws. But when the pup runs off one day at the park, Mini comes to understand how someone else out there might be missing the little guy too.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

My mom found a discounted hardcover of this book and picked it up, thinking it would make a great gift for someone. It hasn't found its new home yet, so I thought I'd have a quick read.

A Dog Wearing Shoes is absolutely adorable. Based on a true story about the author's niece, it shows a cute little lost dog wearing yellow shoes. Mini and her mom rescue it from a busy street, and of course Mini gets very attached to the dog.

The story is cute enough, but the illustrations are really what make this book work. The facial expressions on the humans are hilarious, and the facial expressions on the dogs (especially the one wearing yellow shoes) are priceless. There's so much joy emanating from the pages, and anyone who's had a dog will be able to relate to the exuberance and unfettered happiness shown by the motley crew of dogs. The pictures look like they're drawn in pencil or charcoal, with just tiny touches of colour (yellow for the dog's shoes, red for its leash).

My only complaint (and perhaps the reason why this book hasn't been gifted yet) is the unnecessary author's note in the back about how to adopt a dog. I think the fear is that a kid might get obsessed with getting a dog, even if their living circumstances aren't appropriate for one. This section is also heavily skewed toward Americans, and the same procedures might not apply elsewhere.

All that said, however, I can't fault the story itself. It's a charming one with hilariously joyful illustrations. It didn't hurt that the dog reminded me of one I had growing up. Although, our dog never wore cute yellow shoes...

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall: 4.17 out of 5