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Dear Book Lovers, Welcome! I am delighted that you have found The Through the Looking Glass blog. For over twenty years I reviewed children's literature titles for my online journal, which came out six times a year. Every book review written for that publication can be found on the Through the Looking Glass website (the link is below). I am now moving in a different direction, though the columns that I write are still book-centric. Instead of writing reviews, I'm offering you columns on topics that have been inspired by wonderful books that I have read. I tell you about the books in question, and describe how they have have impacted me. This may sound peculiar to some of you, but the books that I tend to choose are ones that resonate with me on some level. Therefore, when I read the last page and close the covers, I am not quite the same person that I was when first I started reading the book. The shift in my perspective might be miniscule, but it is still there. The books I am looking are both about adult and children's titles. Some of the children's titles will appeal to adults, while others will not. Some of the adult titles will appeal to younger readers, particularly those who are eager to expand their horizons.

Friday, March 18, 2011

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Seventy-Seven

In today's picture book you are going to meet a dog who is rather unique. Not only does he wanted to be adopted, but he has particular person in mind, and he does everything he can to make sure that she notices him.


Doggie in the WindowElaine Arsenault
Pictures by Fanny
Picture Book
Ages 3 to 5
Groundwood, 2003, 0-88899-619-5
   Doggie is the kind of dog who does not give up without a fight. More than anything he would like Mademoiselle Madeleine from the costume shop next door to adopt him, but he cannot get the lady to even notice him sitting in the pet shop window. He does every cute trick he can think of, but Mademoiselle Madeleine just doesn’t see him, so eager is she to get to her shop and to work.  
   One night Doggie manages to get out of his cage and he finds that there is a hole in the wall between the pet shop and the costume shop next door. Once Mademoiselle Madeleine has gone home, Doggie gets to work with the fabric, sewing machine and other bits and pieces that he finds lying around the shop.
   The next morning, Doggie is dressed up in the outfit he made for himself during the night, and what an outfit it is. He now looks like a cat, complete with a long cat-like tail, pointy ears, and whiskers. It would appear that Doggie is a master costume maker, and he hopes that he will impress Mademoiselle Madeleine enough that she will at last notice him.
   The deliciously funny antics of this loveable dog who wants to be adopted by a seamstress (and who indeed wants to be a seamstress himself) are sure to bring smiles to the face of anyone who reads this book. The illustrator has created flat image paintings in bright colors and she has taken great care to give Doggie, our hero, great personality and vivacity. There is no doubt that this is a dog in a million.

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