This picture book explores what happens when a well-behaved (obedient) dog is put in charge of a bunch of unruly cats for the day. They get into all sorts of mischief and just when it looks like the dog will get in trouble with the owners for the mess that was made, the cats do something to surprise all (which I find frankly reminiscent of the end of "The Cat in the Hat" story. The artwork is mixed media (paint in acrylics and digital using Photoshop)with vibrant colors and demonstrating distinct personalities on all the animals. There is no way you will not fall in love with a story about a dog who is left in charge of babysitting five adorable, loving cats. From the very beginning of this picture book you are love struck by the gorgeous end papers of the dog show casing many different facial expressions. The stage is set when the family leaves the house and asks the dog to hold down the fort. The owners love the dog, and the dog loves the owners, so the dog does not want to disappoint them. However, as soon as they leave the cats begin to destroy the house and the dog tries as hard as he can to prevent them from doing so, because he knows that if the owners come home to a messy house, they might not love him anymore. He falls asleep to the house being destroyed when he accidentally ate all of the cat treats and wakes up when he hears the owners arrive. He is terrified what the owners are going to say to him because of the house but soon realizes that the cats cleaned everything up. The dog loves the owners, the owners love the dog, the dog loves the cats, and the cats love him. I could use this in my classroom by allowing children to take turns reading a page to the class. I feel that having students read this book would be great in teaching students about reading out loud with a clear and loud voice. I would also have the students write a short story about a personal experience about a baby sitter they might have had, or if they watch a brother or sister some time.
What do You think about Dog In Charge (2012)?
The moral of this story, as always is "Dogs Drool, Cats Rule." Funny and fun.
—sareunma
I loved the illustrations, but I wasn't to excited about the story.
—LaurenCullen1234
