The many adventures of Tinka!
Snow Dog, Go Dog
Illustrated by Tim Bowers
Two Lions
Ages 3 – 6
9781477817247 Hardcover
IndieBoundAmazonBarnes & NoblePowell’s
Snow doesn’t stop the Golden Retriever, Tinka. She runs and plays and sleds with her boy. But when her friend Millie the beagle shows up, off races Tinka. And she gets lost — till her boy finally rescues her.
Ian Sandberg reads SNOW DOG, GO DOG to his son Tristan. This melts my heart.
Reviews:
“This is the third time around for Tinka, the golden retriever that is constantly in motion—until he happily collapses at the end of a fun day with his favorite little boy. This takes readers through a snowy outing, from the first flurries to the great heaps of snow in which Tinka and his boy revel. There is a nice narrative arc here, complete with suspense as Tinka dashes off and is temporarily lost. As before, the bouncy rhymes mimic Tinka’s playful nature: “Tinka is a play dog, / a yay dog, / a loves-to-romp-all-day-dog. / A fun dog, / a run dog, / a flurries-have-begun dog.” The bright, textured acrylics form a nice contrast between Tinka’s gold coloring and the icy-blue snowscape, while Tinka’s comically elongated snout points out the highlight of each scene. A cozy ending rounds off this satisfying adventure.”—Booklist
HEILIGMAN, Deborah. Snow Dog, Go Dog. illus. by Tim Bowers. 30p. Amazon/Two Lions. 2013. RTE $15.99. ISBN 9781477817247; ebk. $9.99. ISBN 9781477867242.
PreS-Gr 1–A sprightly picture book that has the winning combination of boys, dogs, and snow. Tinka, the playful golden retriever featured in Fun Dog, Sun Dog (2005) and Cool Dog, School Dog (2009, both Marshall Cavendish), is back for a romp in the snow with her human friend. “Tinka is a play dog,/a yay dog/a loves-to-romp-all-day dog.” The lively rhyming text follows the pup and the boy as they run around, play hide-and-seek, go sledding, and more, until Tinka runs too far away and gets lost. Dog and boy are both worried and sad but are happily reunited and return to their cozy, warm home. Bowers’s playful acrylic illustrations, with their bright, clear colors, are well suited to the rhyme, expanding on the text without overshadowing Heiligman’s carefully chosen words that succeed in bringing out the fun as well as the apprehension inherent in this particular snowy day.–Sharon Grover, Hedberg Public Library, Janesville, WI School Library Journal
Fun Dog, Sun Dog
Illustrated by Tim Bowers
Marshall Cavendish
Ages 3 – 6
978-0761458364 Paperback
978-0761455318 Board Book
IndieBoundAmazonBarnes & NoblePowell’s
Come meet Tinka, a dandy, sandy golden retriever, and the boy who loves her as they spend a busy, dizzy day at the beach..
Me and my dog Tinka
Reviews:
“In this action-filled romp, Tinka and the boy who loves her journey from home to the beach to the fair and home again. Being reprimanded for candy snatching, running away, playing Frisbee, and giving some lovin’ are just a few of the activities that fill the pup’s busy day. Her adventures are described in a repetitive and effective singsong text that is catchy and enjoyable to read…Tinka is a fun-to-read-about dog, and this book would enrich any storytime.”—School Library Journal
“A sandy, dandy, golden retriever named Tinka and the boy who owns her spend a day at the beach. The charm of the simple scenario is heightened by short, snappy rhymes and comical acrylic illustrations that energize the fun in the sun…The rhyme, which is never tiresome, may spark some rhyming take-off exercises at home or in a classroom.”—Booklist
Cool Dog, School Dog
Illustrated by Tim Bowers
Marshall Cavendish
Ages 3 – 6
978-0761455615 Hardcover
B008EN40CY Kindle edition
IndieBoundAmazonBarnes & NoblePowell’s
A CBC Children’s Choice, 2010
Listen to a podcast about the book at Just One More Book.
COOL DOG, SCHOOL DOG is my second book loosely based on the life and times of my Golden Retriever, TINKA.
In this book Tinka has moved on from getting into trouble on the beach and at the carnival and in the park. Now she is getting into trouble in SCHOOL!! But it all ends happily, of course. And with a great discovery: Tinka loves to be read to!
Reviews:
“Although she makes the teacher unhappy by messing up the room, the students are delighted by Tinka’s presence and find that the pup loves a read-aloud. In the end, she’s ‘a please-come-every-day dog.’ Youngsters will like learning with each turn of the page just what makes this dog so special.”—School Library Journal
“Tinka the dog returns for a romp through school that starts badly but ends well. Depressed at having to say goodbye to her boy at the bus, she makes a break for it and follows him to school, with predictably chaotic results. But while she’s waiting to be taken back home, the kids decide to read to her-starting her on a second career as a reading buddy. Heiligman’s tale is well-timed to ride the wave of “Reading with Rover” programs in schools and libraries, and her infectious rhymes…pair well with Bowers’s goofy, energetic illustrations to make this gentle piece of propaganda go down easy.”—Kirkus Reviews
Watch me read to my publishers’ dog on TeacherTube.
I read Cool Dog, School Dog to Zachary Bear Noone, a great old Yellow Lab who has gone to the Marshall Cavendish offices every day since he was seven weeks old.
Fun with Cool Dog, School Dog!
Some cool links to check out:
Did you know that children all over the country read to dogs in schools and libraries? See if there’s a Reading to Dogs program in your area.
BARK (Beach Animals Reading With Kids) is a volunteer reading dog program in Southern California. They love Cool Dog, School Dog! Find them on Facebook.