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Skinny Brown Dog
A charming story about an unlikely friendship by National Book Award–winning author Kimberly Willis Holt Benny the baker leads a simple life. He makes delicious cakes, cookies and muffins, and keeps his customers well fed and happy. When a skinny brown dog shows up on Benny's doorstep, nothing Benny says can convince him to go away. While Benny insists that the dog isn't his, customers soon grow as fond of the skinny brown dog as they are of Benny's yummy treats. The children even name him Brownie―the perfect name for a baker's dog. Benny starts to wonder what it might be like to have a dog of his own. But it's not until Brownie comes to his rescue that Benny realizes a dog can make a very good friend. Full of winning characters (and delicious treats!), this book celebrates a very special friendship.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
About the author
Kimberly Willis Holt
36 books220 followersKimberly Willis Holt is the author of the Piper Reed series, including Piper Reed, Navy Brat, Piper Reed, Clubhouse Queen, and Piper Reed, Rodeo Star. She has written many award-winning novels, including The Water Seeker and My Louisiana Sky, as well as the picture books Waiting for Gregory and Skinny Brown Dog. A former Navy brat herself, Holt was born in Pensacola, Florida, and lived all over the U.S. and the world—from Paris to Norfolk to Guam to New Orleans. Holt long dreamed of being a writer, but first worked as a radio news director, marketed a water park, and was an interior decorator, among other jobs. A few years after she started writing, her third book, When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, won a National Book Award for Young People's Literature. She resides in West Texas with her family.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/kimber...
http://us.macmillan.com/author/kimber...
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 15, 2012
I liked the story itself but I couldn't get past the illustrations. All of the other characters are ANIMALS but the dog is still a pet who can't talk but then he starts to wear clothes? And why will a hospital allow a bear, an elephant and a squirrel but not a dog??? The illustrations totally distracted me. I would have really liked it if the characters were people and took in a dog. Maybe a kid won't care but it totally messed with my head.
October 28, 2019
I bought this book this summer for my five-year-old grandson and it quickly became a favorite. It's a lovely, heart-warming tale of friendship and acceptance. I see from certain reviews that some people have a problem with the characters, which are all animals, acting like human beings with the exception of the Skinny Brown Dog ("Brownie") who acts like an animal. This was not a problem for me or my grandson who loved the story, especially the ending, and kept asking to read it night after night (a sure sign of a winner). Also, the main character, Benny the bear, is a baker and the illustrations of the goodies he creates were mouth-watering.
June 14, 2021
Benny is a baker who has a big heart. He loves the children in the community and enjoys serving his customers. When a skinny brown dog shows up he acts fairly gruff, but keeps slipping the dog treats. But should he make this dog a member of his own family?
I'm so confused by this book.
Benny is a bear. There are animals everywhere. Is the brown dog another 'human' in this world or is it a pet? It's treated like a pet, but it wears clothes and does human things. So...what the heck is this? The illustrations ruined what could have been a very sweet story. Really wish it had been done differently. Text alone was worth 4 stars, but the pictures? Forget it.
I'm so confused by this book.
Benny is a bear. There are animals everywhere. Is the brown dog another 'human' in this world or is it a pet? It's treated like a pet, but it wears clothes and does human things. So...what the heck is this? The illustrations ruined what could have been a very sweet story. Really wish it had been done differently. Text alone was worth 4 stars, but the pictures? Forget it.
January 22, 2016
cute story about homelessness
January 7, 2017
I received a copy of this title from PanMacmillan Australia for review.
Ten Second Synopsis:
When a skinny brown dog turns up outside Benny's bakery, the community take it under their wing. Benny, however, remains adamant that a bakery is no place for a dog...until an accident changes his mind.
On first reading this story, I was immediately reminded of John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat, because there seems to be a similar underlying metaphorical suggestion going on here..but I'm not 100% sure what it is.
That appearances are reflective of our attitudes?
The life-changing magic of giving someone a chance?
The importance of following Workplace Health and Safety Guidelines for small business?
I just don't know!
Happily, while there are obviously layers to peel back within this story, I suspect that the more nuanced of these will go over the heads of younger readers, who will instead end up focusing on the charming and delightful story of friendship and acceptance.
Benny the baker (a bear) is a kind and gentle soul and his bakery is a hub for the community. When a skinny brown dog turns up outside his bakery, Benny tries, unsuccessfully, to gently move it on. Of course, no one can resist the lure of puppy dog eyes - especially when said eyes look like chocolate chips - and the dog, who is eventually named Brownie, is taken to heart by the community. Benny, however, remains unmoved on the point that a bakery is no place for a dog...until an accident happens and Benny does some re-evaluation of what and who is important.
The illustrations bear an endearingly old-fashioned tilt, and evoke the community feel of times gone by, when people visited individual shops to buy their necessary goods and shopkeepers and patrons knew each other by name. The repeated refrains from Benny - "He's not my dog!"- and Miss Patterson (an elephant) - "Yes, I can see that" - are suggestive of the knowledge that young readers will have already picked up; that the skinny brown dog is slowly but surely becoming part of Benny's life. The ending is no less heartwarming for its predictability and the author has done a wonderful job of allowing Benny (and the reader) ample time to commit to the course of action that he has been trying to put off.
And yet....underneath the simple story of friendship and acceptance is a whole subtext that begs for careful deconstruction by older readers.
The world of Skinny Brown Dog is populated by animals (most of which wear some kind of jaunty hat), and while the majority of these animals talk and take on human roles, the skinny brown dog, who is eventually named Brownie, does not. Despite the fact that he wears a suit and bowler hat throughout, just like everyone else.
See what I mean about underlying metaphorical suggestion? There are animals who are obviously meant to be people, but Brownie, who is also dressed as a person, like the other people-animals, is clearly meant to be an animal.
Except when he's not.
Like when he hands a dropped purse back to Miss Patterson, using his paw, with a tip of his hat. Or in the final few pages of the story when Brownie is pictured on his hind legs, whereas previously he has got around on all fours. Is Benny's acceptance of Brownie as a friend and companion the catalyst for Brownie's self-confidence and self-worth, represented by his new, upright stance? Perhaps now that Benny is really "seeing" Brownie, the carefully constructed facade of Brownie being something "other", and "not like us" has fallen away.
This is certainly a "more than meets the eye" sort of picture book that can be enjoyed on more than one level. Much like its unassuming cover, the story itself beckons the reader on into the subtext of the story, to discover and create meanings beyond outward appearances.
The shelf brands Skinny Brown Dog highly recommended reading!
Ten Second Synopsis:
When a skinny brown dog turns up outside Benny's bakery, the community take it under their wing. Benny, however, remains adamant that a bakery is no place for a dog...until an accident changes his mind.
On first reading this story, I was immediately reminded of John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat, because there seems to be a similar underlying metaphorical suggestion going on here..but I'm not 100% sure what it is.
That appearances are reflective of our attitudes?
The life-changing magic of giving someone a chance?
The importance of following Workplace Health and Safety Guidelines for small business?
I just don't know!
Happily, while there are obviously layers to peel back within this story, I suspect that the more nuanced of these will go over the heads of younger readers, who will instead end up focusing on the charming and delightful story of friendship and acceptance.
Benny the baker (a bear) is a kind and gentle soul and his bakery is a hub for the community. When a skinny brown dog turns up outside his bakery, Benny tries, unsuccessfully, to gently move it on. Of course, no one can resist the lure of puppy dog eyes - especially when said eyes look like chocolate chips - and the dog, who is eventually named Brownie, is taken to heart by the community. Benny, however, remains unmoved on the point that a bakery is no place for a dog...until an accident happens and Benny does some re-evaluation of what and who is important.
The illustrations bear an endearingly old-fashioned tilt, and evoke the community feel of times gone by, when people visited individual shops to buy their necessary goods and shopkeepers and patrons knew each other by name. The repeated refrains from Benny - "He's not my dog!"- and Miss Patterson (an elephant) - "Yes, I can see that" - are suggestive of the knowledge that young readers will have already picked up; that the skinny brown dog is slowly but surely becoming part of Benny's life. The ending is no less heartwarming for its predictability and the author has done a wonderful job of allowing Benny (and the reader) ample time to commit to the course of action that he has been trying to put off.
And yet....underneath the simple story of friendship and acceptance is a whole subtext that begs for careful deconstruction by older readers.
The world of Skinny Brown Dog is populated by animals (most of which wear some kind of jaunty hat), and while the majority of these animals talk and take on human roles, the skinny brown dog, who is eventually named Brownie, does not. Despite the fact that he wears a suit and bowler hat throughout, just like everyone else.
See what I mean about underlying metaphorical suggestion? There are animals who are obviously meant to be people, but Brownie, who is also dressed as a person, like the other people-animals, is clearly meant to be an animal.
Except when he's not.
Like when he hands a dropped purse back to Miss Patterson, using his paw, with a tip of his hat. Or in the final few pages of the story when Brownie is pictured on his hind legs, whereas previously he has got around on all fours. Is Benny's acceptance of Brownie as a friend and companion the catalyst for Brownie's self-confidence and self-worth, represented by his new, upright stance? Perhaps now that Benny is really "seeing" Brownie, the carefully constructed facade of Brownie being something "other", and "not like us" has fallen away.
This is certainly a "more than meets the eye" sort of picture book that can be enjoyed on more than one level. Much like its unassuming cover, the story itself beckons the reader on into the subtext of the story, to discover and create meanings beyond outward appearances.
The shelf brands Skinny Brown Dog highly recommended reading!
February 13, 2017
The story of a dog persisting and working his way into the baker's heart is sweet. It has possibile tie-ins with homelessness, prejudice, and character education. The illustrations are not appealing. As mentioned by others, there is inconsistency in the treatment of animals--with most treated on par with the human baker, but the dog treated as merely a clever pet. Borrow from public library but do not purchase for school collection.
January 4, 2008
I liked this story, but I have a problem with the illustrations: the story is about a baker who won't allow a stray dog into his bakery. As time goes on, he feeds him more and more and thinks about him more and more, and when a crisis happens, the dog saves the day and the baker takes him into his home. Lovely little story, but what I don't understand is this -- the people in the story are represented as animals in clothing: the baker is a bear, Mrs. Patterson is an elephant, the children are assorted furry creatures, etc. Why would a dog be the only animal excluded from the bakery and also not be able to communicate with the others? I think an error was made on the part of the illustrator, because this particular story doesn't make sense with the characters portrayed as animals. It would have worked much better if they were human instead. Hence, 2 stars.
September 18, 2007
I hate to diss a book by Kimberly Willis Holt, who has written some amazing books. But sadly, this isn't one of them.
The internal logic of this book doesn't match the artwork.Benny the Baker says "dogs aren't allowed". Later the nurse says the hospital is "no place for dogs" Why? It sounds like some sort of racial prejeudice. If elephants and penguins and porcupines are fine, why not dogs? It's not even as if "Brownie" is clearly a pet dog, as is "Pal"in the "Arthur" books--he stands on his hind legs and wearing clothes, just like all the other animals!
This would've been a nice little story if it was about humans, and then it would make sense. But with animals, it just doesn't work.
The internal logic of this book doesn't match the artwork.Benny the Baker says "dogs aren't allowed". Later the nurse says the hospital is "no place for dogs" Why? It sounds like some sort of racial prejeudice. If elephants and penguins and porcupines are fine, why not dogs? It's not even as if "Brownie" is clearly a pet dog, as is "Pal"in the "Arthur" books--he stands on his hind legs and wearing clothes, just like all the other animals!
This would've been a nice little story if it was about humans, and then it would make sense. But with animals, it just doesn't work.
July 5, 2007
A sweet story of a lonely baker and a stray dog, Skinny Brown Dog allows the characters to interact in ways that are believable and touching. Younger readers might be confused about dogs not being allowed inside even though the entire town is populated with anthropomorphic animals--polar bears, squirrels, elephants, skunks, birds, etc. I don't quite understand the rationale for using animals, either, for that reason. The text demands only that the dog be a dog; no other characters are defined.
November 25, 2015
I do not like this book. You know the problem of Goofy and Pluto? How they're both dogs yet one of them is a pet and the other is a regular guy with a house and a car and such? This book has that same problem except Brownie (the dog who's like Pluto) wear a suit and walks around on his hind legs! He looks no different from any of the other animal characters in this book! It's very confusing and I do not like it. Not one bit.
April 17, 2016
Benny runs a bakery where, of course, it wouldn't be right to let a dog in. So when the skinny brown dog takes up residence just outside the bakery, Benny shows kindness but holds the line. Visitors grow to love "Brownie" as he comes to be known.
February 4, 2017
I'm not a dog lover but this book was so cute. A baker won't let a stray dog into his bakery but starts to feed him anyway. Can the dog worm his way into the baker's heart? Length makes it preschool
May 27, 2008
This story is delightful! Both the boys love it. And I think the art is fantastic. The skinny brown dogs's personality shines through more than any other character.
August 6, 2008
I love any story where a dog finds a good home and a new friend. This also reminded me of Library Lion. Great story, cute illustrations!!!
August 16, 2012
I have decided to try to keep a list of childrens' book that I have loved over the years. The message that this book send makes me hopeful and teary-eyed as many animal books do.
January 22, 2016
Out of all the books I picked at the library, I thought this one was the best. I really enjoyed the illustrations and story-line. Overall I though the book was fantastic.
August 17, 2016
love and friendship find a way
December 12, 2007
This is the perfect, heartwarming story for Tales with Tails! Loved it!!! JD
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews