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Big News
Little Dog yips,
runs in circles,
runs to the door,
barking—
Visitor!
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The endearing characters from LITTLE DOG POEMS are back—and this time
the little girl and her little dog have a very large overnight
visitor.
Even though Duncan and Little Dog are very different, they have lots
in common, too—both love cookies and scratches and mud and mischief.
Twenty-seven short, playful poems, narrated by the little girl and
illustrated with delicate watercolors, affectionately observe the
contrasting canines and are an appealing introduction to poetry for
very young readers.
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To learn more, scroll down the page or scratch at the links:
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Awards and
Reviews
LITTLE DOG AND DUNCAN
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Claudia Lewis Poetry Award from Bank Street College |
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Hornbook Fanfare 2002 |
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Capitol Choices 2002: Noteworthy Books for Children |
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Nominated for South Dakota's Prairie Bud award |
 Starred
review, School Library Journal "George has a real knack for
choosing ordinary moments and describing them in accessible yet
lyrical language, transforming the mundane into the magical. The
poems have been pared down and polished to perfection; although
written in free verse, they have the elegance and quiet eloquence of
haiku. Otani's watercolor paintings are filled with personality and
charm. The use of white space or very understated backgrounds keeps
the focus on the interaction between the characters, whose
expressions and body language echo the emotional nuances of each
selection. Glowing with warmth and gentle humor, this book makes a
great choice for reading aloud, or for quiet sharing while children
are snuggled up with their favorite pet or stuffed pooch."
Starred
Review Horn Book Magazine "...harmoniously designed for both sense
and for interplay with Otani's beguilingly casual watercolor
sketches of the two dogs and the little-girl narrator/poet."
"My English teacher used to tell me that a real poet uses the
smallest number of words to say the biggest things. In which case,
Kristine O'Connell George is the master. The quiet brilliance of
Little Dog Poems is followed up this season with Little Dog and
Duncan, in which a large and lolloping new friend is welcomed for
an overnight stay. "Duncan is a digger./ Little Dog is a digger./
That's how they met/ mud." Besides being a tender and observant ode
to canine life, O'Connell's natural, almost conversational free
verse surreptitiously shows children what a poem can be. The
unpretentious paintings are as well suited to the text as Duncan is
to Little Dog, complimenting the poems without upstaging them. Both
Little Dog books ring with a big gladness for little things."
Esmé Raji Codell Planetesme.com
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Spri, Kristine, and Mocha |
About Writing
LITTLE DOG AND DUNCAN
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The idea for Little Dog and Duncan arrived one afternoon when
our neighbor's Labrador Retriever mix, Mocha, bounded through
the front door. It was a simple recipe: Take one calm household
with one small dog. Add one BIG dog. Mix together and you
get...chaos, mischief, and lots of fun!
Even though she weighs around 70 pounds, Mocha did not
intimidate our little dog, Spri, in the least. As a matter of
fact, Spri wasted no time letting Mocha know who is "boss" at
her house. In watching Spri and Mocha play together - and test
each other's boundaries - I found myself thinking about
friendship and that special, trusting moment when a child or dog
truly feels "at home" in a friend's house.
I worked on these poems for about three years. June Otani did
a great deal of research for this book; she even attended the
Westminister Dog Show to study the various breeds. The character
she finally chose for "Duncan" is based on the champion Irish
Wolfhounds she sketched at Starcrest Kennels in La Tuna,
California. I laughed when I saw the opening spread of Duncan at
the front door. What a terrific dog!
Spri, Mocha, June and I hope you enjoy reading about their
adventures in Little Dog and Duncan. Perhaps it will inspire you
to invite a canine friend over for tea, or to spend the night!
Woof!
P.S. We have our very own "big dog" living at our
house. Her name is Amber and she was rescued by the Golden
Retriever Club of Los Angeles. She even has her own web page:
Introducing Amber!
Want
to learn more about Irish Wolfhounds?
Irish Wolfhound Club of America
An Irish Wolfhound Puppy Grows Up
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"Big News"
"Hello!"
"House Guest"
"Homesick"
"Equality"
"Tactics"
"Back Door"
"No Fair!"
"Crash!"
"Seating Plan"
"Sit"
"Fetch!"
"No Way!" |
"Mine!"
"Mine! Mine! Mine!"
"Walk"
"Grass"
"Mud"
"Dinner"
"Is Duncan There?"
"Scratches"
"My Bed"
"Wishful Thinking"
"Watchdogs"
"Going"
"Gone"
"Still Here?" |
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Ordering
Little Dog and Duncan
by Kristine O'Connell George
Illustrated by June Otani
CLARION BOOKS A Houghton Mifflin Imprint; 2002
Ages 4 to 8 ISBN 061811758X
Booksense
Use this link to order online from that wonderful independent
bookstore in your own neighborhood.
Amazon Any rebates received will be donated to First Book
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E-Mail! |
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An American Library Association Great Web Site for Kids
Copyright © 1997 - 2004
Kristine O'Connell George. All rights reserved.
Acknowledgements, Site Awards, and Privacy Notice
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Poems, excerpts, and art images on this site are copyrighted and used with
permission of Clarion Books, a division of Houghton Mifflin, and Harcourt
Publishing. All rights reserved.
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Graphics design and wild attacks of creativity are compliments of Mike Colgin,
PMC Computer Graphics
Please report broken links, pesky typos, or strange site problems to the
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