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Cool Cat, Hog Dog

Clever wordplay and sophisticated collage art turn Cool Cat, Hot Dog into much more than a laundry list of pet characteristics. Beginning with “I’m Cat. I’m feline. / I’m Dog. I’m canine. / You’re as ugly as a Pekingese. / You sure ain’t no Siamese,” the stage is set to showcase two distinctive individuals. Pictured on opposing pages, the two compare and contrast their personalities and habits, sometimes commiserating over shared concerns (“I’ve got fleas. / Mine are itchier.”). The deceptively simple looking animals appear to be constructed from paper and cardboard, with paper fasteners at the joints. Added layers of humor and meaning are rife throughout the illustrations, as when the dog is shown riding a scooter above the statement “I roll around in the park.” Although the text on each page is brief and will be enjoyed by young children, this smart picture book begs to be shared with older kids as well. Highly Commended, 2006 Charlotte Zolotow Award ©2006 Cooperative Children's Book Center

Illustrated by Sandy Turner

CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 5-8
Age Range: PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7) Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format: Picture book
Subjects: Animals (Fiction) Comparisons Friendship Pets Wordplay

Publisher: Atheneum
Publish Year: 2005
Pages: 40
ISBN: 068984946X

CCBC Location: Picture Book, Turner

Cool Cat, Hog Dog