City Dog, Country Dog
Kindergarten-Grade 4–Vincent van Dog and Henri LaPooch meet at art school and, despite their different backgrounds and temperaments, they become fast friends. Vincent is tall and quiet; Henri is short and noisy. Vincent paints flowers; Henri paints dancers. On the last day of school, they promise to write. Vincent invites Henri to come to the country for a picnic. He prepares a rustic meal of fresh vegetables, but Henri finds country life boring and returns home. He invites his friend to paint the town red. Vincent dislikes the fancy food and the noise. When the dogs are thrown out of the Moulin Rouge, Vincent returns home. Again, the pups correspond and decide to meet at the beach, where they have a marvelous time. Unlike the original fable, these two friends compromise to find something that they both can enjoy. The moral here is: "Vive la différence!" French words in the text are defined with pronunciation at the bottom of each respective page. The large paper-cut illustrations are filled with texture, bright colors, and humor. Artworks done in the style of van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec are incorporated into the pictures. A lively and fun take on Aesop's beloved tale.–Linda Staskus, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma, OHCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.