CCBC-Net Archives

Marc Simont: The Stray Dog

From: Ginny Moore Kruse <gmkruse>
Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2001 12:43:22 -0500

Last week I read The Stray Dog to a group of about first graders and kindergartners, a very mixed group in terms of personal & cultural experience and experience in listening to stories read aloud.

The children enjoyed The Stray Dog very much. I was particularly impressed with how easily they "read" the visual story and how quickly they picked up the visual clues as to what was happening in it. This is a great tribute to Mr. Simont's genius. In this book he showed what could be shown and used words to tell only what needed to be told that way.

Although the term "dog warden" was unfamiliar to the children, they understood who that person was and what he was up to! No explanations needed there!

The Stray Dog has a text perfectly integrated with its visual images
- and vice versa. A true picture book - and a delightful one, too!

- Ginny

Ginny Moore Kruse gmkruse at education.wisc.edu Director, Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/ A Library of the School of Education, University of Wisconsin Madison 4290 Helen C. White Hall, 600 N. Park Street Madison, WI 53706, U.S.A.

Phone: 608&3721 or 720 Fax: 608&2I33

The Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) is a noncirculating library for adults with an academic, professional or career interest in contemporary or historical literature for children and young adults.
Received on Wed 25 Apr 2001 12:43:22 PM CDT