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I Didn't Do It

by Emily MacLachlan Charest
32p. 978-0-06135-833-3.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 3—Distinct puppy personalities shine through in 14 poems. As in the companion Once I Ate a Pie (HarperCollins, 2006), the free verses are told from each dog's point of view. A small terrier objects to his owner's "Rules" and offers up his own code of conduct: "Drooling is good….Get muddy. Be happy. Howl!" A black Labrador retriever with woebegone eyes staring straight at readers sits in a bathtub and itemizes "What I Don't Like." The list includes "My food/I like yours better./The mailman/Every single day he comes!" Schneider's striking oil paintings not only capture the impulsive and impetuous nature of pups, but also show such tender moments as newborns, "Born in the soft overcoat quiet of someone's closet," nestled together. An irresistible treat for animal lovers.—Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada
In fourteen entertaining free-verse poems puppies describe everything from their sleeping habits to their likes and dislikes and their own rules for doggie behavior ("No lick! / No bite! / No jump. / No bark. / No fun"). Broad-brushstroke paintings showcase a variety of breeds snuggling, chewing, retrieving, and dreaming after a long, hard day of mischief and mayhem.
Reviewed by Linda Ludke , Oct 01, 2010

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