Who Says a Dog Goes Bow Wow?

by Hank De Zutter

This international menagerie--with turkeys, bees, monkeys, and ducks--is a dazzling way to introduce children to other languages and the concept of diverse cultures. They will have fun noticing how some words for animal sounds around the world are similar to each other, while others are very different. This unusual picture book will encourage children to talk back to the animals they meet--in any language.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Language

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful and enlightening. Who knew that people who speak languages other than English transcribe animals' voices differently? Some are similar, but others are almost unrecognizable. However, you and your children can sound them out, and I bet you'll be able to 'hear' what speakers of Thai, or Dutch, or Farsi (etc.) do. Have fun with just a few pages at a time.

And enjoy the illustrations. I opine they look a lot like those by the popular Eric Carle.

But feel free to skip the tiny bit of narration.

[Vinnie Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book for all ages to understand orgin of different languages and how words are created. Gives children the power to think creatively.

[Mckenzie Quade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It started off with a poem that had a nice jingle and rhythm to it. This book is very international in that it explains what animals sound like in different languages. Something that we teach our children at such a young age, that we think is so universal, can vary so much from language to language. This is a great book to introduce to children to learn a different language, but to also just broaden their cultural outlooks from other nations around the world.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dog, mouse, pig, turkey, rooster, cow, lamb, cat, monkey, crow, bee, cricket, chicken, horse, duck, and bird come to life in onomatopoeic sounds and vibrant collages. Author cleverly rhymes "anguish" with "language" and invites readers to make up their own sounds after listening to the animals. Illustrator thanks Eric Carle for sharing his technique.

[Toby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for elementary aged students to experience how sounds can be represented differently in other countries. I can easily see a student that has come to the US be excited when they hear their first language being represented in the book.

[Morgan]

I love this book because of the illustrations by Suse MacDonald. I love the way it looks like watercolor paint and it flows on the page very well. This is also a great story and a funny one for children who are looking for a laugh.

[Joanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting lists of animal sounds from various countries. Adorable illustrations. Not very fun to read aloud, as it is merely a book full of lists.