Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Dog talk is not merely whimpers, growls, sniffs, barks, and howls. According to award-winning author Jean Craighead George, it's in the tail ("the flag of feelings") and ear twists, too. In this irresistible picture book, you'll learn how to speak to your dog in his or her own language. Sniff his nose to say hello, for example. (You don't have to lick back, even though it would please him.) While you'll never be a match for your dog in the sniffing department, you can look deeply into his eyes or you can whimper to show you care. Don't growl or bark, however. ("Although it's fun, it is not very rewarding to bark at your dog. He doesn't understand your bad accent and may twist his head and look at you in confusion.")
Sue Truesdell's splendidly doggish illustrations interact with photos of Jean Craighead George herself--a woman who has been around dogs her whole life. Dog lovers of all ages will run in circles for this loving, funny celebration of the human-canine relationship. For those who prefer cats, investigate the companion title, How to Talk to Your Cat. (Ages 7 to 107)
From Kirkus Reviews
PLB 0-06-027093-4 Playful illustrations of happy dogs superimposed on photographs of George (Morning, Noon, and Night, p. 799, etc.) set readers up for a romp into interspecies communication. "No one will ever love you as much as your dog does," the author admits, before mentioning in brief the roots of the domesticated dog's desire for a leader; she then moves into the nuts and bolts of how that fact can be used to build a fine and lasting relationship with a pet. Throughout, George models recommended behaviors and postures, interacting with those antic illustrated dogs, an approach that works beautifully. The dog's expressive abilities via tail and face are depicted as well, putting to rest the notion that animals have no such abilities, and George's how-to instructions include corrective measures. This delightful book provides a respectful, competent way to communicate with four-legged family members; a companion title, How to Talk to Your Cat (ISBN: 0-06-027968-0; PLB 0-06-027969-9), is just as enjoyable. (Nonfiction. 6-9) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Booklist
"...these books are full of intriguing information that kids can use to make friends of their pets."
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"In this companion volume to [HOW TO TALK TO YOUR CAT], George turns her lens on the canine world. Those familiar with the animal-behavior aspect of George's JULIE OF THE WOLVES won't be surprised to see her detailed examination as the author explains vocalizations, tail positions, scent and sniffing, facial expressions, and various other aspects of doggy socializing. In this book too, some of the statements are a bit misleading (not all dogs strive for dominance, for instance), but the author is clear about the heirarchical nature of dogs and the impact of human leadership ("Telling your dog he is good is his reward for living"). The mixed photography (of George, representing the humans) and illustration (an endearingly scruffy yellow mutt is the main canine representative) is again effective. Truesdell's got a gift for casually cockeyed canines: there's a Feifferesque touch to her scrawled lines, and her panoply of pooches are expressive in the extreme with their motion lines and flying ears (the collection on the endpapers will send dogophiles into sighs of yearning). As with George's cat volume, this will be an accesible and perhaps paradigm-shifting introduction for young readers.
School Library Journal
"An easy-to-read, conversational, humorous, and informative guide that will help young dog owners communicate with their pets..."
The Horn Book Magazine
"...Carefull attention to the information provided in these books will prevent the scratches and bites..."
Book Description
Find out what your dog is really saying -- and talk back!
How do you say hello and good-bye in dog talk? Most importantly, how do you tell your dog that you're the boss and have him adore you? Learn what different tail positions and facial expressions mean -- and much more!
Jean Craighead George, award-winning author of over 80 books about nature and animals, demonstrates in words and photos how to communicate with your best friend.
01-01 TX Bluebonnet Award Masterlist
Children's Books 2000-NY Public Lib.
About the Author
Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in a family of naturalists, Jean George has centered her life around writing and nature. She attended Pennsylvania State University, graduating with degrees in English and science. In the 1940s she was a member of the White House press corps and a reporter for the Washington Post. Ms. George, who has written over 90 books - among them My Side of the Mountain (Dutton), a 1960 Newbery Honor Book, and its sequels On the Far Side of the Mountain and Frightful's Mountain (both Dutton) - also hikes, canoes, and makes sourdough pancakes. In 1991, Ms. George became the first winner of the School Library Media Section of the New York Library Association's Knickerbocker Award for Juvenile Literature, which was presented to her for the "consistent superior quality" of her literary works.
Her inspiration for the Newbery Medal-winning Julie of the Wolves evolved from two specific events during a summer she spent studying wolves and tundra at the Arctic Research Laboratory of Barrow, Alaska: "One was a small girl walking the vast ad lonesome tundra outside of Barrow; the other was a magnificent alpha male wolf, leader of a pack in Denali National Park ... They haunted me for a year or more, as did the words of one of the scientists at the lab: 'If there ever was any doubt in my mind that a man could live with the wolves, it is gone now. The wolves are truly gentlemen, highly social and affectionate.'"
The mother of three children, Jean George is a grandmother who has joyfully red to her grandchildren since they were born. Over the years Jean George has kept 173 pets, not including dogs and cats, in her home in Chappaqua, New York. "Most of these wild animals depart in autumn, when the sun changes their behavior and they feel the urge to migrate or go off alone. While they are with us, however, they become characters in my books, articles, and stories."