You're A Good Dog, Carl

by Alexandra Day

"Take good care of the baby, Carl." Mother knows she can trust Carl, a large and lovable Rottweiler, to watch over baby Madeleine. What she doesn't know is that the minute she's gone, Carl and the baby gallop off on adventures. In this collection of six of Alexandra Day's popular Carl stories, Carl and the baby explore a department store, a park, and even a masquerade ball―and always make it back before Mother knows they're gone. Carl and Madeleine's joyful romps, told mainly through lush, wordless spreads, are gathered together here for the first time, and will delight children and all those who take care of them.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Classics, Dogs

200 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2007

About the author

Alexandra Day, the beloved creator of Good Dog, Carl, is the literary persona of Sandra Louise Woodward Darling—an artist and storyteller devoted to the deep, joyful connection between children and animals. The beloved children's book author, Alexandra Day, is the literary persona of Sandra Louise Woodward Darling, an artist and storyteller passionate about connecting children and animals.

Born in 1941 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Alexandra Day emerged from a creative family where painting was a cherished pastime. Four formative years on a hundred-acre Kentucky farm nurtured her deep connection to animals and literature, fostering the seeds of her future artistic vision.

Day and her husband, Harold Darling, founded Green Tiger Press in 1970, marking the beginning of their publishing adventure. Her breakthrough came in 1985 with Good Dog, Carl, a book inspired by an antique German illustration she discovered in a Zurich bookshop. The story was based on her own Rottweiler, Toby, and featured her granddaughter, Madeleine, as the baby.

Over the past four next three decades, Day has published twenty-four Carl books, selling more than six million copies. The series, featuresing a gentle Rottweiler caring for a baby and their adventures, is a beloved staple of children's literature. Beyond Carl, she also created the Frank and Ernest series, The Teddy Bear’s Picnic, and many other books.

After selling Green Tiger Press in 1986, Day and Harold started Blue Lantern Publishing. In 1993, they moved to Seattle and founded Laughing Elephant Publishing. Following Harold's passing in 2016, Day continues to run the company with her family.

When not painting Carl or working at her publishing company, Day can be found spending time with her grandchildren and tending her garden. Alexandra Day often visits libraries and schools with her dogs, promoting reading and the benefits of therapy animals. Her life's work celebrates the magical bond between children, animals, and storytelling.

Reviews

[Marta Doublestein · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolute banger, childhood classic

[Heather Sands · Rating 4 out of 5]

You're a Good Dog, Carl starts off with a mother, a baby, and a dog. The mother leaves for the day and leaves the dog to babysit the baby and they go and many adventures. They start of by jumping on the mother's bed, playing with her makeup, making chocolate milk, and other fun things. They have a great day together. The main characters are the dog, Carl, and the baby. Carl obviously takes very good care of the baby and loves him/her. The baby adores the dog and loves having fun with him. These two have a great relationship and trust each other very much.
Overall I think this story is very cute because I am a huge dog person and love my dogs very much. I like the strong relationship between the baby and the dog but I was extremely nervous over the fact that the mother just leaves her baby with the dog. I know this is a fictional story and if the mother was there nothing would have happened but it is still kind of crazy to think of. What caught my eye was the story line. It is just crazy how a mother leaves the baby alone with the dog, and it makes the story a lot less realistic.
One design element of this children's book is the realism in the illustrations. All of the illustrations are set in a realistic house and nothing was out of the ordinary other than the fact that the baby is riding the dog. The pictures don't haven anything crazy in them and portray the story very well. The illustrations are the entire story and they carry the plot very well. Another design element in this story is color. All of the colors are warm and blend well together and it gives the reader a sense of comfort. It also gives a sense of home to the readers and makes the audience feel relieved and happy about the story.

[Caitlin Gates · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wordless picture book is about how dogs and young kids can get into mischief when left alone. In the beginning of the story, the mother in the story leaves Carl (the Rottweiler) in charge of her baby (Madeline) while she runs errands. Even though there are no words in the story, the realistic style illustrations give enough detail to where the reader can clearly tell what is happening. The story is set in inside of their house. Carl and Madeline explore several locations in the house looking for new and exciting things to try out. This book is a fun and an easy to read book for beginning readers. The book is also incredibly charming.

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely watercolors, and an almost entirely pictoral story. Great for children at various ages, for them to grow into.

[Note for self: the dates read are unknown. Read at different points throughout 2023.]

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This, my first Carl book, was a collection of six books about Carl, a babysitting dog inspired by a German comic strip from the 19th century. Each book has words only on the first and last page, where Carl is given a babysitting assignment and then praised for his fulfillment of it. In between lies a frolicking, fun adventure with Carl and the baby having adventures of which mother certainly wouldn't approve. Artist/author Alexandra Day had a series of pet rottweilers who served as models, and her children, grandchildren, and neighbors posed as the baby. The joy in mischief that comes through in her illustrations make these books delightful, and my children immediately wanted to examine them again. These books provide a great opportunity for a pre-reading child to invent the words and read a story to her parent, in the process developing early literacy and storytelling abilities.

[Trenya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave this book two stars instead of one because the illustrations are decent and are probably fun for kids to look at, but I thought the whole idea of leaving a baby or young child with a dog as a babysitter was stupid. If the adventures of Carl of and the baby occurred while the mother was nearby, but busy or distracted (hanging laundry on a line, talking on a phone, or chatting with a friend) perhaps I could buy it, because parents do get distracted, and you could wonder if the adventures were real or imaginary. However, the thought of a mother just saying, "Oh, I'm going to go have coffee with my friend and I'll just leave my baby alone at the park with the dog" or "I'll just go to a party and leave the baby at home with the dog" just makes me angry.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving this story collection three stars because my daughter enjoyed it. I had a hard time with this book because I just couldn't stop thinking about what a terrible idea it is to leave a dog to babysit a baby (which the mother does not just at home, but also in public places). I know it's supposed to be funny, but I worry that this book teaches children that they can do dangerous things (e.g., pulling at a dog's ears and face; wandering around a department store, public park, and the street without any adult supervision) without suffering consequences. On the positive side, the illustrations are fantastic.

[Vicky · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just cringe every time I see this book. My mother in law gave it to us so I can't throw it out, but I hate the way it depicts a baby climbing on a dog. I am sure there are a lot of dog lovers that will criticize me, but simply put we shouldn't teach babies to climb on dogs. I have seen too many dog bites as a doctor, and this book doesn't help teach children the proper way to interact with animals. I REALLY hate this book.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of the Carl books gathered in one volume -- yea! My five-year-old was thrilled -- though she chastised me because not ALL of the stories are there. It's missing Carl Pops Up. Oy -- the literal nature of a kindergartener.

[Marlies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just bought this for my nephew--we love Carl and this has several books in one.

[White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent pictures of a thousand words. Nothing paints a picture like the dog Carl. The story is in the image. It's full of unspoken words. Love it!

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have a rottweiler so I couldn't resist buying this book, and it's adorable! Carl is such a great baby sitter. I plan on getting all the Carl books!

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jordan LOVES Carl!!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite books when I was little. I still like to look through it!

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

You're A Good Dog, Carl
Day, Alexandra
a word less picture book