Kid Review: A Boy, His Dog, and the Sea by Anthony Browne

 

About This Book:

A boy and his dog head to the beach and find that appearances can be deceiving in this story of an unexpected hero from former British Children’s Laureate Anthony Browne.

 

Danny isn’t expecting much excitement when he sets off with his dog, Scruff, for a walk on the shore. He would much rather play with his older brother, Mick, who’s gone off to be with his friends. Scruff loves the beach, but Danny finds it boring. His mom tells him to keep his eyes open: “You never know what you might see.” At the beach, a game of fetch leads to a close examination of sand treasures, until Danny spies an excited crowd waving at the ocean’s edge. Is there anything he and Scruff can do to help? In this visually striking picture book, Anthony Browne turns his hyperrealistic lens to a story about an ordinary day that becomes something extraordinary.

 

*Review Contributed By Connie Reid, Staff Reviewer*

The Heart of a Dog

A Boy, His Dog, and the Sea is a book that celebrates the big hearts of our best pals. In this story, Danny feels bored and sad and wants to play with his older brother. Mick, however, is already off playing with his friends and Danny is left with Scruff to play with. The illustration’s use of gray-blue and black for a day at the beach compliments Danny’s feelings of discontentment. Scruff, as the true hero of our tale, ends up swimming far out to save someone caught in the waves. The happiness that follows is reflected in the bright colors of blue, green, and the white clouds at the end of the book. This simple storyline contains great emotion and makes you want to hug Scruff for being a good boy. Overall, this book works well for the intended age group and fans of books with dogs.

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