The Poky Little Puppy (Little Golden Book)

The Poky Little Puppy (Little Golden Book)

4.05 of 5 stars 4.05  ·  rating details  ·  36,911 ratings  ·  457 reviews
One of the original 12 Little Golden Books, The Poky Little Puppy has sold nearly 15 million copies since 1942, making it one of the most popular children’s books of all time. Now this curious little puppy is ready to win the hearts and minds of a new generation of kids.
Hardcover, 24 pages
Published April 1st 2001 by Golden Books (first published 1942)
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Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)
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Isabella
Mom's note:

Bella enjoyed reading this book, but couldn't give it 5 stars because of inaccuracies that she couldn't forgive. First one was that strawberries "don't just grow in the grass by themselves," which is true enough. Her second sticking point came after the puppies' mom made them chocolate custard, and my daughter, having been raised in a houseful of dogs her whole life, said, "Those puppies are going to be DEAD after they eat that chocolate."

I love this kid.
Becky Everhart
Feb 19, 2008 Becky Everhart rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: children
I must have read this book a million times when I was growing up, and I still have warm fuzzy feelings about the story. I would truly recommend this book to all children.
Jessica
A disturbing tale about bestiality. Just kidding.
Terri Drake
This book, and "This is the House That Jack Built" were my all time favorite childhood books. I need to add it to my reading list, and give it 5 *****! There is something about repetition that kids love when reading stories aloud.
Lynanne
My absolute favorite book from my childhood. I treasure my Little Golden Books and the lessons they taught me. Growing up, my parents didn't have a lot of money. They bought their food in bulk at the early-70's equivalent of Sam's Club/Costco. As a reward for good behavior in the grocery store, they allowed me to pick out a Little Golden Book or coloring book instead of a candy bar. The books were almost the same price as the candy, but my parents knew I'd enjoy the book longer. Every evening be...more
Ciera
This is a classic tale of a puppy, that is constantly rewarded while his siblings are not, although he is also sneaking out. His puppy siblings had dug a hole underneath the fence, and get caught, the Poky Little Puppy does not get in trouble because he is out exploring while his mother scolds his siblings, and as he strolls in, he gets rewarded with dessert. Fate catches up with the Poky Little Puppy when the puppies are sent to bed without dessert for the third night in a row, and decide to fi...more
Shawn Thrasher
When The Poky Little Puppy was published in 1942, World War II had been raging for several years, and after knocking at America's door, had finally entered. Pearl Harbor, the Nazis, the Holocaust, bombs and death, and destruction. In 1942, it wasn't immediately apparent that the good guys were even going to win the war. I bet if you were a little boy or little girl in 1942, then this story about five naughty little puppies was a much needed escape into a world without war. The worst thing that h...more
Jason
Aug 17, 2011 Jason rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone
Recommended to Jason by: Probably mama
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Swankivy
The illustrations and repetitive storytelling in this book delighted me as a child. When I was in kindergarten, my mother used to babysit for a younger boy and I would read this book to him, and he'd always laugh uncontrollably at the line "happy as a lark." I never found out why, but I didn't know what a "lark" was until years later. I just figured it was something pretty happy. I liked that it was such a simple book but had a sort of complicated moral message--and that it didn't condemn the Po...more
Shana Berschler
Throughout my childhood Golden Book Classics have always been a favorite of mine. Being an animal lover, The Poky Little Puppy was very enjoyable to me. I believe this story has a very important moral. The Poky Little Puppy did not join his siblings when they snuck out to play. His siblings were caught, scolding by their mother, and sent to bed without dessert. Meanwhile, the Poky little puppy was doing other bad things, but coming home late so his mother did not know. He was able to eat all of...more
Ed
Jun 24, 2008 Ed rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: slowpokes, curious cats, children
Shelves: kid-stuff
I love puppies, and the pokier the better in my book, but this story just didn't thrill me. Although I'll leave it to you to form your own opinions...did Puppy make the right decision? Should one follow one's heart or one's mind? Is there a higher call to which "duty" answers?
Andre
This book was instrumental in whetting my appetite for reading. I remember getting this book in the kids meal that was purchased for me at Wendy's, 20 years ago. I proceeded to read it in fairly short order and then reapeatedly read it over and over. Classic!
Andrea
This book was one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES as a little girl...I don't know why. So if you read it and it's not that great, sorry, but it's a five star book to me because I remember my Mom reading it to me a million times when I was a wee little lass.
Alisha
Jun 22, 2010 Alisha added it
Shelves: eng-353
The Poky Little Puppy, written by Janette Sebring Lowrey, follows a little puppy, his brothers and sisters while they all sneak out to play. The Poky Puppy stays behind to sniff things. Because he stays behind, he is not caught. His brothers and sisters get in trouble for digging a whole under the fences, but Poky is rewarded with pudding. This happens again, and they puppies get in trouble. However the third time this happens, while the puppies are in trouble, they sneak out to fill in the hole...more
Lorelei
May favourite book from early childhood, roly-poly, pell-mell, tumble-bumble and strawberry shortcake and puppies. What more could you want?
Carla Vazquez
There were five little puppies who were curious about what they saw when they explored through meadow. Throughout their explorations they saw different animals. In order for them to go to the meadow they had to dig a hole under the fence but they were not suppose to. So in return for disobeying their mother they got no desserts. It took them a while to finally listen to their mother. Instead of digging holes they covered the one they dug. The main idea of the book is to listen to what you are to...more
Sara
My kids were torn about this book. When I first read it to them, they were upset. Thing One was upset because the puppy wasn't treated very nicely by his family. Thing Two had just recently survived a near-miss with a poorly-trained pit bull owned by a neighbor, so she was upset that it was a book about dogs. I read it to them much later, and they seemed to enjoy it much more. It's still not a favorite around here (though I loved it growing up, myself), but it's certainly tolerated. They like th...more
Angie
Synopsis: "One of the original 12 Little Golden Books, The Poky Little Puppy has sold nearly 15 million copies since 1942, making it one of the most popular children’s books of all time. Now this curious little puppy is ready to win the hearts and minds of a new generation of kids."

My Review: Such a classic story! I think my grandmother read it to my father and my mother read it to me and now I am reading it to my Munchkin. It is definitely a story that stands the test of time. The images are br...more
Danny
We encountered this at a friend's house. It's an old story, and a bit strange. The puppies keep escaping the yard, so someone posts a sign telling the puppies not to dig under the fence (huh?). The rest of the story revolves around the puppies missin...moreWe encountered this at a friend's house. It's an old story, and a bit strange. The puppies keep escaping the yard, so someone posts a sign telling the puppies not to dig under the fence (huh?). The rest of the story revolves around the puppies...more
Becky B
As an adult, I now appreciate how much my Grandmother suffered because of my love for this book. It was my absolute favorite on the shelves at her house, and I'm sure she probably wished it had disappeared after the first 50 times I asked her to read it to me. Thanks to her loving, self-sacrificing heart though, I probably had this story read to me several hundred times as a child. (And then I went on to encourage my 3 younger siblings and 2 younger cousins to have the book read to them too. Poo...more
Clare Bear
Mar 06, 2008 Clare Bear rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anarchists
Recommended to Clare by: 1940s do-gooders.
Shelves: a-classic
This little Golden Book is a family hand me down. I love the illustrations. What galled me as a kid and even now when I read it to my nephew is that the Pokey little puppy was different from his other brothers and sisters and octracised for it. The litter were bred for suburbia and happy within the confines of the picket fence which was their universe. Now Pokey (negative connotaions here, me thinks) little puppy decides to use his little snout and snuffle under that fence and see whats beyond t...more
Dominic
I expect to see my ratings change over the years as I read these books to my kid, but for right now, I appreciate the repetition, rhythmic language and surprise twist at the end. I can see why this book is memorable to so many adults who read it as children. My wife talks about her mom reading this one to her over and over again. It is an essential volume in our child's growing library--for there are few things more important to a soon-to-be-born child than his or her own library.
Rebecca
PB 1- This is just a classic children's book which I chose because I read it when I was little. I love the story and the illustrations. I like how the book holds a message about doing what you are told to do or else you will be punished. I would be a great book to read aloud to kids because it repeats over and over and would probably keep their attention with the funny things that happen. I enjoyed revisiting this old classic. I would certainly recommend it to someone.
Hannah
PB 19
I was not a huge fan of this story. The end was moderately disappointing. There is a good lesson about following rules and the idea is cute, but overall there is something to be desired in my opinion. The topic might be more interesting to children, but for me the book was just okay. I like that this story could be a nice approach for vocabulary for animals and included some counting. This exposure could be really nice for some young children.
Jenny Brown
What is it about The Poky Little Puppy that has such lasting appeal? Is it the way the naughty puppy siblings repeatedly sneak through the fence into the wide, wide world? Is it the way they count themselves at the top of the hill, “one, two, three, four,” and discover that the fifth, the Poky Little Puppy of the title, is missing, every single time?

Full review:
http://www.twentybyjenny.com/47Books/...
Julie Barrett
The Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowrey
Illustrated colorful children's book is about 5 puppies and they start out digging under a fence and playing near a hill and they stop to count and there are only 4 of them.
there is one that is slow and likes to take his time and he ends up finding trouble but at the end of the day they do not get dessert because their mother told them do not dig under the fence.

Jackie
When I was four years old this was one of my favorite Little Golden Books, of which I had hundreds -- each with a handmade library card carefully glued into the back cover (it is unclear who was going to check them out since I was an only child up to that point, but I was a little OCD, even then). I thought they had stopped publishing Little Golden Books but found this one yesterday and had to get it for my son.
Lisa Arthur
I remember having and reading this book as child and it's nice to go back visit it again.

It's something children can relate to being curious and doing what your told by your mother. Sometimes if you don't listen there may be consequences for actions. Story teaches a good lesson. I love how Pokey is being individual not following group of his sibling but finding his own trouble following his curious ways.
Claudia
Read this to Kaiti last night...we both were underwhelmed...I kept looking for a message, a lesson. I kept looking for the puppies, especially Poky, to learn something and change...

So, without a theme or a dynamic character we DO have some attempt to give kids some sensory details, but Poky and his siblings didn't learn anything.

I was disappointed in this, and Kaiti got really impatient. Oh well...we tried.
Natalie
Great read all around.

Though I am confused as to why they show every freakin' animal that's climbing up and down that hill, except for the spider. Why leave out the spider?

Mostly I'm grateful for the recession-friendly desserts the book suggests. "Can we have rice pudding Mama?"
"Can we have tapioca Mama?"
"Can we have chocolate custard?"
At 79 cents a box, yes you can my little lovelies!
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“And down they went, pell-mell, tumble-bumble, till they came to the green grass; and there they stopped short.” 2 people liked it
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