Review - Spare Dog Parts

Spare Dog Parts
by Alison Hughes
illustrated by Ashley Spires
Date: 2016
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

A stumpy tail, mismatched paws, a long, drooly snout and the biggest dog heart that ever beat. In a celebration of what makes a pet unique, a little girl imagines how an odd assortment of parts combined to make the perfect dog.

With spare, inviting text from Alison Hughes and charmingly offbeat illustrations by award-winning illustrator Ashley Spires, this gorgeous picture book is sure to be an instant classic.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

What a strange children's book! There's no story, really, other than a little girl explaining how her dog ended up with a set of seemingly mismatched parts. Now, that premise isn't so weird... but the illustrations are! Not that they're bad; they're actually pretty cute. But they're odd. As the little girl is "building" her dog, she's growing this creature that resembles Frankenstein's monster, complete with stitched-together parts. At one point, she's even pulling around the half-finished dog--just a head and torso--in a wagon! That's just a bit macabre...

I can see where the author was trying to go with this, but I don't think the observation that some dogs appear to have mismatched parts is really enough to make a picture book. The illustrator did her best with what she had to work with, but it's just such a weird premise to begin with.

I don't think I would necessarily recommend this one. Maybe to kids who adore funny-looking dogs and don't really care if the book actually has a story...

Premise: 2/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.67 out of 5