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Spunky Tells All
by
Ann Cameron ,
Lauren Castillo (Goodreads Author)
Spunky the dog would be happy to share all of his secrets, if onlyhis human familyspoke his language. But no matter how hard he tries to talk,it's all"yerf!" to them.Through a series of unfortunate miscommunications, his family decides that Spunky wants a friend--specifically, a cat. Spunky can't imagine anything worse than having to share hisfamily, especiallyHuey and Jul...more
Hardcover, 112 pages
Published
October 11th 2011
by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
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Spunky is the story of a family and their pets as experienced by the title character, a mixed breed dog in the prime of his life. He has a good relationship with his family, and even if they do not understand "dog", he loves them anyways. So, as Spunky explains, he will be telling "almost all." The illustrations in this book simply and charmingly capture the essence of the pets. The cover image of a puzzeled Spunky conveys the heart of the story, which is of a dog attempting to communicate with...more
This story is about Spunky the dog and a new animal that gets adopted into the family, Fiona the cat. At first Spunky doesn't like Fiona but by the end of the book they become friends. I thought this story about Spunky the dog is good for teachers who want to teach about narrative writing or using this book as a mentor text for an example "point of view". I would use this book to show 3rd or 4th grade students an example of authors who write books showing a different point of view. In this case,...more
Jan 31, 2012
Mari
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
cats,
dogs,
juvenile,
pets,
possible-booktalk,
read-aloud,
second-grade,
third-grade,
tk-club,
funny
Spunky belongs to the Bates family; Julian, Huey, and their parents. Spunky loves his humans, but he's very aware of the "tragedy" that comes from them not being able to understand dog language. Fortunately for readers, their lack of understanding leads to some very funny situations - including the adpotion of a kitten named Fiona who smells of "foolish."
I am always impressed when an author can create a book for emerging readers that has great language, characters, descriptions and insights. Th...more
I am always impressed when an author can create a book for emerging readers that has great language, characters, descriptions and insights. Th...more
This is the best early chapter book I've read in years. I love the way Spunky's mind works, and how he sees the world, especially his family and the new cat they adopt. Two of my favorite Spunky quotes: "A good Dog can’t help being good. It’s tragic," and "On sad nights, a good Dog will never leave his boy’s face unlicked." I'm going to be pushing this one hard with all my young animal-loving library patrons.
This book is a fast read and quickly becoming a third grade class favorite. Highlights for me were the clever desciptions of the dining room table and bathroom from the perspective of animals. The book also touches upon changes in family structure and adapting to new additions. Classroom tie-ins could be discussions on perspective in writing, language/vocabulary, and adapting to changes at home.
Delightful tale of Spunky and his Humans, this is part of a series. Spunky, a rescued mutt of about five Human years, has found new and different ways to get into trouble. Spunky explains to the reader he was merely trying to teach his boy. The author’s ability to look at the world through the eyes of another being is admirable and spot on. The illustrations are lively and complement the text well.
Nov 04, 2011
Marcie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Gaylynn Jameson
Recommended to Marcie by:
Elizabeth Bird
Shelves:
likes-and-loves-2012-ccira,
children-s-humor
It's strange that so many of my favorite recent reads are by author's from Portland. I wonder if it has anything to do with Powell's Books? I loved this brief easy read so much, I've decided to have my class read it this next year. It would be nice to pair with Ann Martin's "A Dog's Life" for much more competent readers, but this is lovely for the 1st to 3rd set.
Very creative children's book showing the perspective of Spunky, the family dog, and his experiences as a misunderstood dog. Because of miscommunication, the family thinks Spunky wants them to get a cat. Although a rough start, Spunky ends up saving the cats life and becoming good friends. I think this would be an excellent book to use when teaching perspective or point of view.
This was most certainly a fast read, but not my favorite. While yes, it was cute and would be a fun story to read aloud to maybe 2nd grade, I feel that it is not the best children's book out there. Although it is not my favorite books, 3rd graders would enjoy reading this easy read and developing their reading skills!
What an adorable dog's eye view of living with humans. The pluses? The delicious smells. The minuses? They don't understand dog, so when the Bates misinterpret Spunky's barking, "No cat. No cat. No Cat," as enthusiasm for one, his life is turned upside down.
Great read aloud potential.
Great read aloud potential.
Ann Cameron never fails to entertain. Spunky not only amuses but reveals his complex internal concerns in ways that should make a dog-lover out of those few who are not. Excellent choice as mentor text for voice/point-of-view.
The story is told from the perspective of the Bates' family dog and his reaction to the family deciding to get a new pet cat. It's hilarious! This story is actually part of the Huey series.
This was cute.. I thought it would be better just because I love dogs so much and always want to know what mine are thinking, but it was cute. I would recommend it for 3rd -5th maybe.
Fun book from the perspective of the family dog. Kids will be rolling on the floor with laughter while reading this book!
Early Chapter book about a dog and his family, written from the dogs perspective. P.K.
Really cute story, told from a dog's perspective, about his life with his family.
Sweet story dog and cat friendship story. Made me think of "Taxi Cat and Huey."
The dog's view on his human family and the newly adopted cat. Charming and funny.
If you like stories with talking dogs, this is for you, corny.....
Oct 23, 2011
Rosanne
added it
Such a charming story--narrated by a dog.
Spunky Tells All was a cute book. It is a little long to read to my first grade students but if I had the time it would be a good book to read and teach my students the importance of caring for other people who might be different from you. We need to give everyone a fair chance because you never know what will happen.
What an adorable book. Gave me the idea to set up some fiction 'pet' reads in the nonfic pet section. I plan to read it aloud to my second graders... and to suggest it to a struggling reader in 5th grade. More than a dog story... for those that want to think deeper this dog is a philosopher! Very funny.
Read this to my 6-year-old. He liked it enough for me to finish it, but he never begged for more the way he did with the other Julian, Huey, and Gloria books.
I loved the interaction particularly between Spunky (dog) and Fiona (cat).
A book in the Julian series told by their dog, Spunky! Cute story.
Great book when teaching point of view.
Apr 27, 2013
Michelle
marked it as to-read
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Ann Cameron grew up in Wisconsin. Today, she and her husband live in Guatemala. From her house she can see a waterfall and three volcanoes. Ann Cameron has been a teacher and an editor as well as a writer.
She says that writing is hardest for her at the beginning of a book. To get started, she follows this important rule for writing: "Apply seat of pants to bottom of chair."
More about Ann Cameron...
She says that writing is hardest for her at the beginning of a book. To get started, she follows this important rule for writing: "Apply seat of pants to bottom of chair."
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