Go, Dog, Go! by P.D. Eastman

Go, Dog, Go! by P.D. Eastman

1.      Bibliography

 Eastman, P. D. Go, dog, go! New York: Random House, 2015. ISBN 0394800206

2.      Plot Summary

Dogs, dogs, dogs!  Dogs are everywhere in this delightful but educational early reader.  Dog’s come in many colors.  They are at play and at work.  They are going and staying.  This book introduces children to many words and concepts through fun and colorful drawings and story.  The dogs are big and little, in and out, up and down, and over and under.  The story also has a running joke that children will enjoy, “do you like my hat?”  The book culminates in a big dog party.  Children will enjoy pointing out all the activities going on throughout the book, especially at the big dog party.

3.      Critical Analysis

In the vein of Dr. Seuss’s One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish; this early reader strings together animals (dog’s in this instance) doing various things to introduce early words, numbers and other concepts.  This is one book in the series of I Can Read It All by Myself.  There is not much in the way of character development, plot or setting however, this is to be expected of an early reader which is mean to introduce words and concepts.  The exception is the running joke of “do you like my hat?”  The fact that this is the only running story helps to point out the joke and makes it all the more entertaining. And, while being simple, it will educate and delight children ages 3-7.

The illustrations are simple big and little dogs in a variety of sizes, colors and breeds.  The author/illustrator uses various methods to let the reader know if the dogs are on the move; smoke puffs behind the car, scarves streaming behind the dog and lines to show movement.  Other than the dog characters, there are relatively few additional props, mostly to show what the dogs are on, in, above and below.  However, when the reader gets to the dog party, there is a lot going on which makes for great discussion between care-giver and child.

4.      Review Excerpts

Top 100 Picture Books #28 by School Library Journal

Publisher’s Weekly #11 Best Selling Children’s Book

From Common Sense Media: “This a a total gem of a book for kids getting ready to read.”

From School Library Journal: The canine cartoons make an elementary text funny and coherent and still one of the best around.”

5.      Connections

Gather other books by P.D. Eastman such as:

                Are You My Mother? ISBN 0679890475
                The Best Nest.  ISBN 0394800516

Gather other books from the I Can Read it All By Myself series such as:

                Lopshire, Robert. Put Me in the Zoo. ISBN 0394800176
                Sadler, Marily and Roger Bollen. It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny. ISBN 0394861027
                McClintock, Mike Illustrated by Fritz Siebel. A Fly Went. By ISBN 0394800036

Use with a science unit on color or math unit on numbers:

                Dr. Seuss. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. ISBN 0394800133
                Dr. Seuss Illustrated by Roy McKie.  Ten Apple Up on Top! ISBN 0394800192
                Martin, Bill Jr. Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? ISBN 0805047905

Use with similar P.D. Eastman titles using the same characters such as:

                Red, Stop! Green, Go! ISBN 0375825037
                Big Dog…Little Dog. ISBN 0375875395
                Eastman, Peter (P.D.’s son). Fred and Ted Series

Gather other stories about dogs:

                Cole, Joanna and Calmenson, Stephanie Give a Dog a Bone: Stories, Poems, Jokes and Riddles about Dogs ISBN 0439087082
                Frith, Michael and P.D. Eastman. I’ll Teach My Dog 100 Words. ISBN 0394826922
                Perkins, Al Illustrated by Eric Gurney. The Digging-est Dog. ISBN 0394800478