Synopses & Reviews
A new book to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of Good Dog, CarlCarl is finally back! Once again, Alexandra Day has concocted a very busy day for the amazing and all-around resourceful Rottweiler Carl. His owner believes Carl is at home taking a nap, when really hes making tracks all over town. He visits a bakery, makes a delivery for the pharmacist, helps out a veterinarian, and joins in a magicians act in the park. But in the most important event of the day, Carl becomes a real hero when he rescues a litter of puppies from a fire.
With eight more pages of fun than in the previous Carl books, this captivating adventure, related mostly through pictures, will delight fans old and new.
Review
"Twenty years after making his debut in
Good Dog, Carl, the Rottweiler who has charmed a generation of readers has lost none of his appeal - or his spunk. Day's stunningly realistic, brightly hued illustrations are as timeless and endearing as the plot. Carl fans young and old will cheer his return." -- Starred,
Publishers Weekly
"Another fan-pleasing, tongue-in-cheek outing." -- Booklist
"That lovable canine and his adorable preschool companion return in another winsome picture book. The entertaining story is told through the gently detailed, warmly realistic paintings. This is a must-read." -- School Library Journal
About the Author
Alexandra Day is the pseudonym for Sandra Louise Woodward Darling. She is the author of Good Dog, Carl and the rest of the beloved Carl books, including Carl Goes Shopping, Carls Christmas, Carls Birthday and Carls Snowy Afternoon. Darling was born in 1941 in Cincinnati, Ohio, to a large and close-knit family. Painting was a popular family recreation, and almost every family excursion included one or more easels and a variety of sketch pads, chalks, paints, and pencils. For four years, the family lived on a hundred-acre farm in Kentucky. Here young Sandra grew especially fond of riding and training horses, and became a dog owner for the first time. Living in the country also provided plenty of time for reading, a life-long passion. Sandra illustrated her first book in 1983: The Teddy Bears' Picnic, a popular children's song by Jimmy Kennedy. That same year, she was visiting Zurich, Switzerland, when she came across a volume of old German picture sheets, one of which featured a poodle playing with a baby who was supposed to be taking a nap. This image proved the inspiration for Good Dog, Carl. The Darlings' own dog, a Rottweiler named Toby, was the model for the book's main character. Since then, two other Darling Rottweilers have posed as Carl in the seven sequels: the late Arambarri, who was named for one of the Darlings' favorite jai alai players; and Zabala, who currently moonlights as an Our Best Friend therapy dog, visiting hospitals to cheer patients. About her work Sandra says: "I think that one of the reasons my illustrations have appealed to people is that they can sense my sincerity. I know that marvels exist which are just outside our ordinary experience, but that at any moment we may turn a corner and encounter one of them. Children also believe this, and because they and I have this conviction in common, we, as creator and audience, make good partners." Sandra lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband, Harold.