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Every Dog in the Neighborhood

ebook
2 of 2 copies available
2 of 2 copies available
How many dogs live in the neighborhood? Louis decides to find out—by meeting every single one.
Louis really wants a dog, but his Grandma insists, “There are enough dogs in the neighborhood already.”  While Louis disagrees, he realizes he needs more information to support his argument: so he sets out to figure out how many dogs live in the neighborhood. 
While Grandma sets out on errands of her own, Louis starts knocking on doors.  He meets big dogs and little dogs, dogs with jobs, dogs who eat socks, and dogs who are much missed. (He also meets cats, and birds, and one very big python, but those don’t count!) 
By the time he gets home Louis is ready to tell Grandma just how many dogs are in the neighborhood. . . .  But Grandma thinks he just might have missed one.  A particularly loveable dog.  A dog who needs a new home. 
Maybe there are enough dogs in the neighborhood after all. 
Philip Stead and Caldecott Medalist Matt Cordell team up once again for a sweet, offbeat tale about a loving grandparent and grandchild in the tradition of Follow That Frog and Special Delivery. Perfect for dog lovers, of course—but the charming, subtle messages of community and compassion will appeal across the animal kingdom. 

A Mathical Book Prize Honor Book
A South Carolina Book Award Nominee
An American Library Association Notable Children’s Book
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A New York Public Library Best Books of the Year
A Shelf Awareness Best Children's Book of the Year
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
A Horn Book Fanfare Title
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  • Reviews

    • Kirkus

      March 1, 2022
      A boy who counts dogs winds up counting his blessings, too. When Louis wonders how many dogs live in his neighborhood, neither his grandma nor City Hall can provide an answer. Louis conducts a dog census and discovers that most people in his community have at least one dog--including a pooch who lives only in his owner's heart. He also encounters cat, bird, and reptile owners. Louis compiles a numbered list of dogs, noting quirky names and characteristics and taking occasional breaks to report his findings to his feisty, white-haired Grandma, who is busily constructing something--delightfully revealed at the story's end. Finally, Louis announces his tally to Grandma; but wait--she introduces him to yet another dog owner, a twist that makes for one heartwarming, satisfying ending. This charming, gently humorous tale will resonate with youngsters. Adults will appreciate the winks directed at them: the dog named E.B. dreams of writing animal stories; pups Nos. 17 and 18 on Louis' list are named Thelonious and Monk respectively. Illustrations rendered with pen, ink, and watercolor and marked by Cordell's signature quick, loose strokes complement the sweet story and capture Louis and Grandma's loving relationship admirably; some art is set in spots and panels. The protagonists present White; their neighbors are diverse in race, age, and physical ability. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Whether you're a dog lover or not, count this one a winner. (Picture book. 4-8)

      COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      April 18, 2022
      Grandma knows it’s going to rain; “I can feel it in my knees,” she says, directing her shaggy-haired grandchild Louis to grab a raincoat for a walk through their neighborhood. Soon, rain starts pelting down, and everyone around them dashes for cover. “Grandma knows everything,” Louis says serenely. Their outing prompts letters to City Hall, Grandma’s banged out on an old typewriter, Louis’s handwritten on notebook paper. As Grandma sets about realizing a plan for a nearby vacant lot, Louis heads out with a clipboard to survey the neighborhood’s dogs. Previous collaborators Stead and Cordell (Follow That Frog) turn to real-world portraiture, spotlighting the racially diverse neighborhood’s dog owners—and each pooch—in affectionate cameos. Cordell’s scribbly ink and wash vignettes capture scenes of Louis meeting dogs with names such as Thelonious and Monk, while a trio named Moose, Goose, and Caboose is introduced by a girl who speaks through a mail slot (“Caboose is always leading the way,” she adds). Though Louis does their own legwork, it’s Grandma’s brisk sense of community care—revealed in the white-presenting duo’s projects—that brings a small-town intimacy to this volume’s city inhabitants. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio.

    • Booklist

      May 15, 2022
      Grades K-2 Louis and his grandmother enjoy walking around their neighborhood. There is an empty lot in poor condition, however, that is troubling Grandma, and Louis is interested in finding out more about the local dogs. This story of community building and organizing gets some retro flair in the pen and ink with watercolor illustrations of Grandma's apartment and the typewriter she uses to write a letter to city hall. Louis handwrites his own letter, and when he finds out that no one actually knows how many dogs live nearby, he decides to conduct his own census. As he makes his way from house to house, he meets various family types, their cleverly named pets, and even a guide dog named Ogre. Meanwhile, Grandma is working on her own project at the lot, cutting grass, trimming shrubs, and painting a sign. She's made a dog park, and now Louis can invite all his new friends. A fun twist ending shows Grandma frowning at the exhaust from a city bus, a problem that sends her straight back to the typewriter.

      COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • School Library Journal

      Starred review from June 1, 2022

      K-Gr 3-What a pleasure to see sprawling urban neighborhood scenes with every kind of adult, child, and dog imaginable, all packed into a picture book. For children who love dogs, this sweet story, charmingly limned by Cordell, follows a grandmother and her grandson, Louis, as they spend time trying to remedy a problem. Louis, resembling a sheepdog with black bangs hiding most of his face, canvasses the neighborhood to find out how many dogs live there after Grandma says there are too many for him to have one of his own. Grandma has a campaign of her own, concerning a vacant lot. By the end of the story, Louis has counted 20 neighborhood dogs, including the one he adopts, and his grandmother has turned the lot into a dog park. Louis's innocent but matter-of-fact narration is entertaining for all ages (with plenty of inside literary jokes to boot), while the illustrations show Cordell's signature sketchbook style of thin black outlines and soft watercolor paint. The art matches the tone of the book, making this a gentle and pleasant read. VERDICT In spite of its outwardly comical premise, this book delivers a ton of information on canvassing, addressing city agencies, amassing data, and getting things done. It can bolster various programs and collections, and makes a great addition to any shelf.-Sarah West

      Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • The Horn Book

      Starred review from May 1, 2022
      Louis tells his grandma that he wants a dog. When she replies that there are already enough dogs in the neighborhood, Louis goes door to door to get a record of how many. As a result, he doesn't get just a tally of the dogs; he also gets to know his neighbors -- Mr. Pierce, whose dog Harvey "will always live in my heart"; a blind woman with a guide dog; and many more (including a surprise appearance by Sadie from Stead and Cordell's Special Delivery, rev. 3/15). Meanwhile, in a subplot told only in the pictures, civic-minded Grandma rolls up her sleeves and establishes a dog park in a previously neglected part of town, City Hall clearly having given her an unsatisfactory response to the letter we saw her typing. As she tells Louis, "Sometimes if you want something done you've just got to do it yourself." Cordell brings to the page a vivid cast of characters as Louis canvasses the neighborhood. His shaggy, loose-lined illustrations in warm pastels are detailed and filled with humor. (The man who owns a dog named E. B. looks a lot like the Charlotte's Web author.) Stead creates an indelible character in Grandma, who is fierce, determined, and kind, and he leaves plenty of room in his lively text for Cordell to add layer upon layer to this already nuanced tale -- one that ends sweetly, in more ways than one. Julie Danielson

      (Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

    • The Horn Book

      May 1, 2022
      Louis tells his grandma that he wants a dog. When she replies that there are already enough dogs in the neighborhood, Louis goes door to door to get a record of how many. As a result, he doesn't get just a tally of the dogs; he also gets to know his neighbors -- Mr. Pierce, whose dog Harvey "will always live in my heart"; a blind woman with a guide dog; and many more (including a surprise appearance by Sadie from Stead and Cordell's Special Delivery, rev. 3/15). Meanwhile, in a subplot told only in the pictures, civic-minded Grandma rolls up her sleeves and establishes a dog park in a previously neglected part of town, City Hall clearly having given her an unsatisfactory response to the letter we saw her typing. As she tells Louis, "Sometimes if you want something done you've just got to do it yourself." Cordell brings to the page a vivid cast of characters as Louis canvasses the neighborhood. His shaggy, loose-lined illustrations in warm pastels are detailed and filled with humor. (The man who owns a dog named E. B. looks a lot like the Charlotte's Web author.) Stead creates an indelible character in Grandma, who is fierce, determined, and kind, and he leaves plenty of room in his lively text for Cordell to add layer upon layer to this already nuanced tale -- one that ends sweetly, in more ways than one. Julie Danielson

      (Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

    • The Horn Book

      January 1, 2022
      Louis tells his grandma that he wants a dog. When she replies that there are already enough dogs in the neighborhood, Louis goes door to door to get a record of how many. As a result, he doesn't get just a tally of the dogs; he also gets to know his neighbors -- Mr. Pierce, whose dog Harvey "will always live in my heart"; a blind woman with a guide dog; and many more (including a surprise appearance by Sadie from Stead and Cordell's Special Delivery, rev. 3/15). Meanwhile, in a subplot told only in the pictures, civic-minded Grandma rolls up her sleeves and establishes a dog park in a previously neglected part of town, City Hall clearly having given her an unsatisfactory response to the letter we saw her typing. As she tells Louis, "Sometimes if you want something done you've just got to do it yourself." Cordell brings to the page a vivid cast of characters as Louis canvasses the neighborhood. His shaggy, loose-lined illustrations in warm pastels are detailed and filled with humor. (The man who owns a dog named E. B. looks a lot like the Charlotte's Web author.) Stead creates an indelible character in Grandma, who is fierce, determined, and kind, and he leaves plenty of room in his lively text for Cordell to add layer upon layer to this already nuanced tale -- one that ends sweetly, in more ways than one.

      (Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
Kindle restrictions

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:2.7
  • Interest Level:K-3(LG)
  • Text Difficulty:0-2

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