A Tale of Two Dogs

by Steven Kroll

Morgan is a happy, friendly, slobbery dog. But Morgan is also a nuisance—he begs, he chews, he howls, and he’s BIG! So Mr. and Mrs. Morrison take him back to the pound . . . and come home with a new dog, Peanut. But Peanut isn’t happy with his new family, and Morgan misses the Morrisons. The two homesick pups finally win their proper owner’s hearts in this delightful story about finding and appreciating the right pet.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2004

About the author

Stephen Kroll spoke at schools and conferences all over the world. He was married to the journalist, Kathleen Beckett, and they lived in New York City and an old carriage house in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. When he was not writing or traveling, he played a lot of tennis and walked around looking at everything.

Reviews

[Jordan Deep · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: Morgan is a dog that is just a mess. He gets dirty, causes accidents, and was overall a nuisance. The children loved him so much, but the parents decided that they needed a new dog. They gave Morgan away and decided to get a new one. They decided that Morgan was the dog they really loved and decided to get him back!
Reflection: I thought this book was very cute. You can see the obvious love the children have for the dog in the illustrations provided in the book. The children in the book are little so this could allow students to relate further with the story.
Implementation: Students could do a cause and effect lesson with this story. Because Morgan caused trouble, the family got rid of him. Because they got rid of Morgan, they got a new dog.

[Elizabeth Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

a very busy read ... lots of words to read and check out ... fun illustrations.

[Peggy Tibbetts · Rating 1 out of 5]

This picture book gives new meaning to the saying, “there are no bad dogs, only bad people” – in this case Mom and Dad. Morgan was a cute little fluffy puppy when he was adopted by a family with three kids. But he developed some bad habits because no one in the family ever bothered to walk him, much less train him. They just expected him to be a good dog without ever teaching how to be a good dog. So, much to the heartbreak of the kids, Mom and Dad took Morgan back to pound to trade him in for a different puppy. There are so many things wrong with the premise of this story it’s hard to know where to begin. A tale about two dogs who met at obedience school would have been a lot more interesting. The colorful illustrations convey all the humor and angst of a life with a new puppy. Unfortunately the story does not. It sends totally the wrong message to kids about responsible dog ownership.

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

A Tale of Two Dogs begins with Morgan the sweet and furry puppy coming into Amy's life. However Morgan is very naughty. So do Amy's parents train the dog? NO! They take him to the POUND (they don't even bother to look for an appropriate owner)! Then they bring home another dog. What horrible pet owners, and how horrible for Amy. The book does have a happy ending when the kids get the dog back but I still can't find anything redeeming in the story. If a child was reading it to deal with a pet that had to be given away it sends a bad message as it does for general pet ownership.

[Carissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. A family dog is too much trouble so the dad insists he "has got to go!" Then the replacement dog isn't a good fit and wants to return to his first home too. So the family gets their first dog back. The end.

[Briana · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a horrible book. You don't just give up an animal because it is not the best creature ever. Gosh! This book needs to be destroyed.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable

A quality ebook. Adorable artwork. The story was a bit implausible, but it is for kids. I'm glad it was a daily deal book. my granddaughter will enjoy it.

[Katie Patterson]

My 6 year old son LOVED this sweet book.

It is a great story for little ones and older kids as well. And it's not at all boring for Mom and Dad either.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not fot storytime- nice illustrations, story was odd.

[Marilyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The two families switch dogs unwittingly. The dogs want their original families back.