Walkies: A Dog's Tale

by Estrela Lourenço

On a gloomy, dripping, rain-boots-required kind of day, Kid is ready to stay inside, warm and dry, and play video games. But to Dog, Kid’s arrival home means only one it’s time for WALKIES!

Outside, rain means puddles to splash in, mud to splock in! Tiny ears perked up, tail a-waggling with joy, Dog bounds through the park, Kid in tow. Playful action sequences, bold facial expressions, and vivid illustrations all drive this wordless tale, transforming a dreary afternoon into a boisterous adventure.

While at first doubtful about the experience, Kid’s attitude brightens, buoyed by Dog’s playful antics and the surprises and wonder to be found outdoors. Before long, thanks to Dog’s positive energy, Kid doesn’t think it’s such a bad day after all. In fact, it might just be the best !

Filled with adorable, exuberant scenes any dog owner knows well, this playful romp is sure to brighten the day of many a young reader, pet owner and non-pet owner alike.

Genres: Picture Books, Dogs, Childrens, Animals, Humor, Fiction, Adventure

40 pages, Hardcover

First published May 14, 2024

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s raining outside, what are we going to do? Especially when you are a dog who likes to be outside. How do you get your human to pay attention to you?

In this mostly wordless book filled with many different picture scenes, this dog will do anything – and the human is left to oblige. Can the boy go from a frown to a smile with the dog as they venture out?

Reading Level: Ages 4 – 8 years

[V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walkies is an hilarious and sweet wordless picture book that shows the joy of nature and relationships if we just take time to look. When a child has no choice other than to take the dog for a walk instead of playing computer games, a surprising change takes place. Although the child is reluctant to do anything other than quickly plod along, the dog has other plans and ultimately causes the child to embrace the natural world and delight in the time spent with the sweet pup. The message is clear: take the time to look up from your screen and you'll be rewarded.

[Andi Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dog will love you and always encourage you to play! We surely don’t deserve them…

[Thomas Bell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely cute, and I love how the walk helps cheer the girl up. Dogs do that! :-)

But alas, nothing terribly special about the book, so no more than 3 stars from me.

[Kris Coronado · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. What an absolutely wonderful book! A wordless story that says so much. Without spoiling the plot here, I'll just say that Estrela Lourenco does a superb job of delivering a hearfelt message that is both sincere and vibrant. The illustrations are both plucky, playful and downright fun. You don't have to be a dog lover to adore this title, the message is universally appealing. My kiddos will be returning to this one frequently I'm sure!

[Kelly Rice Schmitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wordless picture book is a delight! Perfect for dog lovers, WALKIES captures the humor, joy, endless love, and (some of) the work of owning a dog. This also encourages outdoor play and connection with nature and your family— which so love. Dog lovers both small and grown up will laugh at this adorable dog’s persistence. Highly recommend!

[Rutuja Ramteke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walkies: A Dog's Tale - A Tail-Waggingly Good Time

Walkies: A Dog's Tale is a charming children's book that captures the pure joy of a dog walk, even on a gloomy day.

The story unfolds relying on expressive illustrations and playful action sequences. We meet Kid, who'd rather be indoors with video games, and Dog, whose enthusiasm for walks is infectious. Dog's boundless energy and the allure of puddles and mud patches soon have Kid joining in the outdoor fun.

The book beautifully portrays the transformation of a dreary afternoon into an adventure. Kids (and dog owners!) will recognize the adorable antics and the special bond between a child and their pet.

Walkie’s: A Dog's Tale is a delightful read-aloud perfect for young children. It’s also a great pick for introducing new feelings/ bonds or encouraging storytelling through pictures. This heartwarming tale is sure to brighten the day of any reader, dog lover or not.

Rating: 4.5✨

[Shanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I put this on hold, I didn’t realize it was wordless. Lol. I think I love it more because it is wordless and you can make up what the kid says and what the dog says. The dog wants to go on a walk, but it is raining and the kid would rather stay home playing video games.

After much persuasion on the dog’s part, and a little push from Mom, the kid takes the dog out in the rain for a jaunt. At first, the kid is grumpy, but as the story moves forward, things start to change. It’s a reminder of being there for the little things in life. Little things like taking dogs on walks or just hanging out with someone? Those are the things we treasure. Those are what we live for. The big moments are great. But the smaller ones are beautiful in their own way. The artwork in this book is so fun!

Mia’s Year of Books: Day 205

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pictured from the canine’s perspective, this wordless story shows how a little dog engages in heroic efforts to get its human to step away from the game console to go for a walk around the neighborhood. Along the way, the child begins to notice the wonders of nature, gets some exercise, breathes fresh air, has some fun, and participates in real life. Fortunately, there is no dopey dog dialogue, no unnecessary onomatopoeia of canine vocalizations. Expressive artwork dramatizes the demands and inconveniences, lessons and rewards of pet guardianship. Yet too many of the illustrations, especially the pages with multiple images, render the dog too small a point of emphasis in relation to the humans and other objects. That said, the little dog manages to teach its people what’s most important in life.

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Estrela Lourenco masterfully crafts a nuanced, wordless tale of a child and a dog on a rainy day walk. The story is rich with expressive characters and intricate details, capturing a spectrum of emotions from excitement and frustration to empathy and delight. The layered and intricate illustrations invite readers to interpret the story and connect with the characters in their own unique ways, making it a perfect fit for readers of all ages and abilities. This book is a delight to revisit repeatedly, as each reading reveals new layers to enjoy. I highly recommend it, especially for any kids who are highly visual!

[Melki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone once said that a dog is the only piece of exercise equipment you can't ignore; no matter what the weather - you NEED to walk your pooch.

In this little wordless wonder, Kid learns that fact of life. Dog needs a walk. But even a stroll in the pouring rain can yield magical surprises . . .

I LOVED this one! It reminded me of all the changing seasons, sunsets, interesting bird and bug sightings, sounds, and smells I might have missed out on had I stayed at home in front of the TV (or, sorry -even reading a book) instead of walking my dog.

Dogs make us GET OUT THERE and explore the world.

Having to scoop up some poo is a small price to pay.

[Becky Scharnhorst · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a new favorite wordless picture book, and this is it! This story, beautifully told through illustrations only, is about a young child who grudgingly takes their dog for a walk in the rain and discovers a world of joy and wonder. I think one of the reasons I love this book so much is because of Estrela Lourenco’s ability to convey emotions. I felt every feeling she put on the page. The characters’ expressions are brilliant, and their movement is masterfully portrayed. I’m a huge dog lover, and this book perfectly captures the special bond between dogs and humans.

[Julie Hauswirth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Estrela Lourenco tells a layered story about a kid and a dog on a rainy day walk, and tells it without using a single word. With expressive characters and hidden details, Lourenco's kid and dog evoke a range of emotions- excitement, frustration, empathy, and delight, to name a few. The exclusion of text allows the reader to draw their own conclusions and make their own connections with the characters, which was perfect for my 11 and 3 year old boys. This book is a joy to read over and over, because each time we open it there's something new to experience. Highly recommend!

[Mr. Lowton · Rating 4 out of 5]

2024 Picture Book. Portuguese-Irish Author/Illustrator.

A wordless picture book where a child has to abandon video games to take the dog for a walk, and discovers the enjoyment of the outdoors.

What I liked: No words! I don't see a lot of these books. I can see a lot of extension activities...

What I didn't like: I wish the story wasn't SO simple, or had more visual cues...but that's about it.

Overall, Pretty sure I'll get this for all of my libraries.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a master class in wordless storytelling. This book is about a dog that needs to be walked, and the kid that doesn’t want to walk them. Unlike some books where every single page is different this book both has one and double page illustrations as well as a page of graphic novel, like illustrations that move the smaller points of the story through faster. The color combination, the line work, the color work, all go together to make this one of my favorite wordless picture books ever. I hope this one stays on Library shelves for a very long time.

[Christie Kaaland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my life, too> sometimes I don't want to walk the dog before the sun even comes up or before I have finished my first cup of coffee. But, no, Bree has to go and has to go NOW. Once out, though, don't we all feel better?
In this clever picture book the dog's owner, just home from school, just wants to play video games. Besides, it's raining. Boots, raincoat, leash, and out the door. The facial expressions in Lourenco's illustrations reflect the walker's gradual change in attitude, despite the weather.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This mostly wordless picture book is all about an excited dog taking his disgruntled kid owner on a walk in the rain that they *really* don't want to go on, only for the kid to slowly discover the joys of nature and splashing around in the rain and mud. The picture of the kid's face on the cover is priceless, and every kid in the world who has ever been forced to do something they really don't want to will relate.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A kid comes home from school on a dreary, wet day and just wants to crash in front of their video game console. But the dog has other plans and despite the kid's initial frustration in being forced to go walk the dog, they discover there is a whole world they were missing. I love the message of the story told through the wordless text but fabulous illustrations! It's a message we all need to hear more often.

[Laura Bontje · Rating 5 out of 5]

Confession: I'm not usually a wordless-picture-book person. But I absolutely am with this book! I asked my kid to read it to me, and by the second spread, Estrela's illustrations had us cracking up. The story in the visual narrative is both relatable and heartwarming, and the expression in the characters' faces and bodies is fantastic! This is an awesome choice both for pre-readers who want a book they can "read" and for older readers who want a good laugh (and maybe a puppy snuggle).

[Ashley Belote · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wordless picture book is filled with an amazing visual narrative. Lourenço does a wonderful job of showing a story rather than telling a story. The overall narrative arc shows a dog who continually begs to go outside and a reluctant kid eventually giving in. Initially distracted by screens, the kid leaves the screen behind and goes outside in nature and realizes the amazing things that lie outside of a device. This is certainly a heartwarming tale fit for any kid or dog. Five stars!

[Michelle Chan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This unique and laugh-out-loud picture book follows the story of an excited dog and its human as they embark on a walk during a rainstorm. I loved the hilarious body language of both the main character and his dog, especially the end pages! This is sure to be a hit for any kids with dogs in the house.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this wordless picture book about a girl's adventures with her dog.

The vibrant illustrations and character drawings are full of life and movement and all of the emotion of owning a pet. Then she gets outside and the dog has a mind of her own playing in puddles and running around until they get back home and eat together.

It's the expressive movement and faces of all of the characters AND the setting, plus the dreary rainy color palette with the girl's yellow rain slicker.

[Leslie Barnard Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, I love this book so much! This wordless picture book shows how a dog's desire for a walk on a gloomy, rainy day leads to adventure and joy. A dog's begging (and mischief) prompts a child to go outside into the dreaded rain, but once outside the child encounters adventure, fun, and wonder, too. A beautiful message for all of us screen-dependent humans. It's time to go outside!

[Erin Dealey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this oh-so relatable rainy day wordless story and the movement and fun in Estrela’s illustrations. Perfect for dog owners, and their canine companions, of course, but I can see teachers using it as a writing prompt--on a rainy day! Parents can do this too. Have kids write (or tell) the story they see. Win-win!

[Traci Huahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun, playful and beautifully-illustrated wordless picture book that turns the mundane chore of walking your dog into a splish-splashing, rumbling, tumbling, spirited ode to the joy our favorite fur friends bring to our lives! Lorenco’s whimsical art is full of energy and wonderfully captures the full range of both human and dog emotions!

[Colleen Kong-savage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh gosh! What a delightful book with the CUTEST little dog character. It finds pleasure in the outdoors on a rainy day, something that resonates with me. Lourenço is masterful with those blues, purples, punctuated with yellow, white and pinks. I love the colors, the art, and reminder to stay in touch with the world around us.

[Kimberly Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This stunning wordless picture book captures the all of the emotions of a pup owner—from frustration to adoration—in a story that pulls at the heartstrings in such a relatable and beautiful way! Every time I read this book, I notice something new in the pictures that makes me love it even more! A must-have for every pet-lover's bookshelf!

[Marie Hermansson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A visual story full of expression and energy! It is quite fun to look at each illustration and tell the story yourself, you'll have a laugh. The kids have an opportunity to be the storyteller and come up with their own version based on what the illustrations are telling them. Author Estrela Lourenco masterfully uses vibrant color and expressive characters to tell this one of kind story.

[The Book Squirrel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wordless picture book.
On a rainy day, the last thing a boy wants to do is take his enthusiastic dog for a walk (just wants to play computer games), but his attitude soon changes with his dog's antics and when the sun comes out.
I really loved that the mother found the boy's joy contagious and the boy chose to share the joy of the walk with her rather than return to his computer.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5! No text, only illustrations. Mostly blues, dark blue, black, yellow, purple, and red. About a woman who walks her dog and comes to love it and appreciate life. Illustrations are more stick/cartoonish but the facial expressions are everything. Love the dog's enthusiasm for walks, the owner's initial annoyance when working, and the owner's growing love for the dog and nature's beauty.