Review: A Dog's Life!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 8, 2013
S.I.A.  takes a different and very entertaining stance for writing children's stories. Through a sound progression of images and ideas the author allows children to identify the significant `costumes' of various forms of jobs, places these on a sweet dog named Buddy and in doing so allows children to identify how special a dog as a friend of the family can be. By making the main character a dog the author allows a child's imagination to romp on how dogs might think situations through - and entertain at the same time.Buddy is a smart dog who likes playing on the grass, chasing cats, and relieving himself on trees. But Buddy wonders why he can' t be more like a man - sitting on the toilet reading a newspaper while he relieves his needs, drinking water from a glass through a straw, and rest from work on the weekends - but of course first he must find a job: he visualizes himself as a doctor, a computer programmer, a famous singer, a fortune teller, a weightlifter, a hunter, a film producer, a fireman, a magician, a painter, a robber, a policeman, an accountant, a pirate, a devil, and angel, or even a King! But in the end Buddy realizes he is happiest at being a beloved pet dog - and children grow to appreciate their own pet dogs as unique and valuable just the way they are.This is a well-illustrated book, easy to read for the early reader who benefits for visualization of words to learn, and carries with it a valuable lesson about the meaningful relationship between dogs and man and man and dogs! Grady Harp, September 13