Review: "Brave dog"

“Brave dog”, well-written by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Sucie Stevenson, is a funny and nice story about a boy called Henry, his father and his lovely dog Mudge, who are spending a pleasant time in the beach. This book can be used in the school for different didactics purposes.

In this story, the family plays and eats hot dogs. Then Henry and his father built a sand castle with towers and moats while Mudge sleeps. When the castle is finished, Henry’s father puts a big lobster on the tallest tower. Suddenly, a giant and harmful wave destroys the castle and wakes up the dog. However, Mudge runs and recovers the lobster turning into a hero.

From the didactic point of view, since the language used is clear and not complicated, English teachers of 4^th and 5^th grade of primary school can use this book to teach vocabulary about junk food. Besides, the illustrations are colourful and the author uses onomatopoeias to describe the dog’s reactions. Moreover, they can use this story to teach the different types of families because, in this case, Henry’s mother doesn't appear. It absence can be because of two different situations. On the one hand, Henry’s parents could be divorced. On the other hand, Henry’s mother can be at home. According to this situation, children can participate telling their own experiences.

Don’t miss this book! It is a sweet and entertaining story to share in the classroom. Children will be engaged with the characters and with the topics. I would recommend this story because the readers will enjoy it.