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Apr 25, 2014forbesrachel rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Things go flying in this texture-filled tale of a dog who just loves chewing shoes. In fact, he loves them so much, that his owner names in Shoe Dog, a slightly ironical choice, as she does this in a moment when she is shooing him away. Colours shift from bright happy tones as he joyously tears apart his favourite footwear, to dark purples once his owner notices his mischief. Amongst so many patterns, the author needed something to make the dog stand out. A scribbled overtone does the job, and even provides a visual cue to his wild nature. As an added feature, the scribbles continue in a trail behind him. This suggestion of his movements easily leads the eye across each page. In two ways does this book stand out. For one, it makes it clear that the dog does not understand what it is doing wrong, a very realistic touch, while also showing the the lady has no idea how to address this behaviour, and to train the dog otherwise. Instead the author chooses a sweet ending, one that may be unrealistic, but is a satisfactory ending for all.