Goodnight, Good Dog

by Mary Lyn Ray, Rebecca Malone (Illustrations)

It’s time to say goodnight. But what if a dog isn’t sleepy? Intimate and accessible, this young dog story captures how a reluctant pup warms to bedtime in a way that children will recognize immediately--and find as reassuring as their own beds.
  

Genres: Picture Books, Dogs, Storytime, Animals, Childrens, Fiction, Juvenile

32 pages, Hardcover

First published November 10, 2015

About the author

Mary Lyn Ray is a conservationist and author of several picture books for children. She was born in Louisiana in 1946 and grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas. Ray has lived in New England since 1964, when she first came east to attend college. She currently lives in a 150-year-old farmhouse in South Danbury, New Hampshire, which she restored herself.

Reviews

[La Coccinelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a rather fanciful story that attributes human thought processes to a dog who doesn't want to go to bed. I get that it may be a metaphor for children not wanting to go to bed yet; they'd rather stay up and play, just like the dog.

And I might've been able to go along with the conceit if the pictures had blown me away. Unfortunately, they didn't. They look so rough to me, almost as if someone has taken a paintbrush and traced over some photographs of dogs. There's both too little detail and too much texture. I'm really not a fan of the style.

I can think of a number of other books about bedtime that are much better than this. Try Bedtime 123 by Eric Walters & Josée Bisaillon, A Bedtime for Bear by Bonny Becker & Kady MacDonald Denton, or I Want a Bedtime Story! by Tony Ross for some lovely bedtime books.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm going to try to read all of Mary Lyn Ray's children's books. I think they're sweet.

[Viggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+.

[Mackenzie Donahoo]

In the beginning, we learn that dogs know the sound of their owner going to bed. They know that the light turning off means it is time to go to bed. This dog is not sleepy tonight. He remembers that he had a fun day filled with sunshine and toys. He can't fall asleep remembering how good his day was. His owners always told him he was a good dog before he went to sleep. Everyone is asleep but the dog. He is starting to get a little tired. He eventually falls asleep and dreams about blue skies and green grass. He gets woken up by his owner telling him good morning.

I liked this book, because I thought that it was interesting. I liked how they mentioned all the exciting things he had done that day and how that made him not be able to fall asleep. I thought the pictures complimented the story well.

I could use this book in my classroom to talk about dogs. I could talk about what kind of things dogs like to do. This could start a discussion of what the students like do with their dog at home. We could also talk about how hard it is to sleep after an exciting day.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ray, Mary Lyn Goodnight, Good Dog, BOARD BOOK. HMH, 2015. $9. 97813288524247

A cute little dog is told good night, but he isn’t ready to go to bed. He thinks about all the things he liked about the day, what he did and the words that were said to him that he liked. He finally decides that maybe if he curls up in this round moon bed he might dream the day back again, and it works. Super sturdy pages with a soft dog that can be felt on the cover.

This is a really cute book! It was surprisingly thoughtful and poetic considering the limited text and pages. It will certainly resonate with children who also don’t want to go to bed and those that have a dog or want a dog. Darling little book.

PRE-K –ADVISABLE
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
Stephanie, Elementary School Librarian & Author

[Maggie Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a little dog that is not sleepy at all at bed time, he describes the house and how the house sleeps. He then thinks of some of his favorite things and goes to sleeps and dreams of them. Then s awoken the next morning by his owner and he is happy.

This book was very cute and I think would be great for students who have a hard time falling asleep at nap time or even bed time.

I would use this for a helping students fall asleep before nap time or also give to parents who are having problems with their children going to bed.

[Kaylee Aulenbacher · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is about a dog at night. the house goes to sleep and he is not sleepy so he daydreams about the sun and his toys and things he does when its day outside. he walks around the house to make himself tired but isn't. so he lays down in his bed and dreams about the sun and the grass and then all of a sudden he is woken up because it is a new day.

I did not like this book much because it was too simple. it didn't really teach me anything and it was kind of boring.

I don't really know a good lesson to teach with this book. I would not use it in my classroom.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dog recognizes the sounds of bedtime; the light clicking off, the moon shining through the windows. But he is not sleepy yet. He remembers chasing the yellow sun that day, his toys and dish. As he wanders through the house and realizes that everyone else is asleep he goes to his round bed and tries to convince himself that he can dream the sun back.

A good story for getting children to sleep. Illustrations are reminiscent of Laura Vaccaro Seeger's.

[Sarah Alamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

We're so proud of you for reading "Goodnight, Good Dog"! What a sweet story, wasn't it? You learned something really important—even when we don't feel sleepy, our cozy bed helps us rest. Just like the puppy, when you snuggle in your bed and think about your happy day, sleep comes easier. And guess what? Tomorrow brings more fun adventures! You're becoming such a wonderful reader, sweetheart. We love you so much!

[Amber Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is a cute story. This book would be for readers just learning how to read. I like that this story involves a dog because that will get some students to read the book since they like dogs. I liked the pictures in the book even though they were a little plain, but they did not have to be too drastic.

[talesofkids · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute story about a dog who is not sleepy at bed time, so what does he do instead of sleep? He daydreams about his toys, the sun and things he does when its daytime.

A simple book that would be great read aloud at home. The illustrations are soft and simple.

[Abby Peskin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet book written from the perspective of a dog at bedtime who first tries to convince himself that he is not tired and does not need to go to sleep even though everyone else at home is asleep. He misses the day when he was playing, but ends up going to bed to bring back a new day instead.

[Derrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this for a bedtime story with my three lil pups, put them right to sleep (not for a lack of fighting it, tho)

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm surprised that this book doesn't have higher ratings. Dog lovers everywhere will enjoy this one. The perfect bedtime book for families with pets. :)

[Tracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

With spare, but rich language, the story of the day a little dog finds a home.

[Y.Poston]

cute story and great illustrations!
great mixed race family presence!

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book doesn't have a very deep story. It's just a simple story of a dog who isn't sleepy. Still very nice.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A toddler and up book where a dog doesn't want to go to sleep for the night.

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet and exactly how Kait falls asleep!

[Danni Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweet bedtime story! I want to snuggle it forever

[Cyndy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful story about a dog in the nighttime. This dog is not sleepy, but everyone and everything else is.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute artwork and surprisingly touching story.

[Dannaca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute bedtime story about a very good dog who isn't sleepy. At least, not very sleepy. This is a nice, gentle read and the kids loved how cute the dog was.

[Jayden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an amazing Spanish book that was nice and easy to read.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

night night woof woof

Great transition book for my 2 year old. Simple words and pictures made it easily relatable. It was an instant favorite.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The little dog knows when people are heading to bed. The light clicks off, quiet night noises start, and the moon comes up. But even though he has a wonderful warm bed, the little dog is not sleepy. He remembers his day filled with playing outside in the sun, running on the grass, and eating. He’s still not sleepy though, so he explores the house with the sleeping people. He climbs into his round bed, still not sleepy. Well, perhaps a little. And before he realizes it, he has slept all night and it is day again with plenty of time to play and eat once more.

This book is magnificent. It is simple yes but also offers a lot of depth. The writing is very special, using symbolism in a way that is appropriate for very small children. Ray beautifully ties together the quiet round of the moon with the warm round of the puppy’s bed with the hot round of the sun during the day. Yet this is not a concept book, it is a book about the magic of night and the lure of bedtime even if you are not sleepy. It is a book that explores words and emotions, that is dreamy and quiet and lovely.

The illustrations by Malone are done in acrylic. They are big and bold, the objects clearly outlined in black and just asking to be pointed to by small fingers and talked about. The little dog is enchanting, his head tipped to the side thinking or listening. He is childlike in his unwillingness to sleep and in his daydream of the day. The book is warm, quiet and cozy.

A delight of a dog story, this bedtime book has a quiet charm that is very special. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

[Bethany Sutherland]

Goodnight, Good Dog is a book told in the perspective of the dog. The dog is wide awake at night, but everyone else is sleeping and he is contemplating what he should do. He thinks of the running around and chasing the ball he does during the day and wishes he could still do that, but everyone is sleeping. He finally goes down to bed and dreams of chasing the ball and wakes up to goodmorning, good dog.

I thought this book was interesting since the story was told from the viewpoint of the dog. Otherwise, I did not care for the book. The illustrations seemed fake to me and did not look as realistic as I would have wanted them to be.

I would have this book in my library just for the fun of the students to read during downtime. I do not think there is really a lesson to be taught, but students like dogs and would like this book.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dog/Bedtime storytime

[Jtimko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amelia Bedelia does not want to take dance lessons. Can she survive dance lessons in spite of her reluctance and shine like a star in the dance recital?
This is the eighth volume in the Amelia Bedelia chapter books written by Herman Parish, nephew of Peggy Parish. Timely topics and amusing illustrations keep this book lively. Though the humor is not as lively as the original books, readers will enjoy the predicaments that face Amelia. These are also stories of Amelia as a youngster before she became so literal in her thinking. If your kids love Amelia Bedelia, then these are perfect for you collection. Recommended for grades 2 through 4.

[Ina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet, with simple text and illustrations, this gentle story focuses on a dog and his bedtime routines. He remembers the joys of his day, reflects on all of the things that he knows, like the sounds the dark makes and "he knows his bed, round like the moon." The problem is his family is asleep but dog isn't. He wanders through his house and reviews all the words he knows...and eventually he starts feeling a little sleepy...and then he makes himself snug and wishes himself good night and begins to dream about the good morning he is going to have the next day.