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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
I confess I don't bring a lot of criticism to dog books. They're generally light and pleasant and inconsequential. This book is no exception.
It's a perfectly cromulent dog book, with a plucky (human) female protagonist ( Birdie), in addition to a dog named Bowser. Birdie & Bowser both have old-fashioned names. They have adventures and solve mysteries. 'Nuff said. :)
This is one of those stories that's told by the dog. That's not my favorite kind of dog book. But Spenser Quinn writes dogs reasonably well, considering Bowser is a dog that IMMEDIATELY bonds with his human and minds right away. He's the kind of dog that humans wish all dogs were.
It's a perfectly cromulent dog book, with a plucky (human) female protagonist ( Birdie), in addition to a dog named Bowser. Birdie & Bowser both have old-fashioned names. They have adventures and solve mysteries. 'Nuff said. :)
This is one of those stories that's told by the dog. That's not my favorite kind of dog book. But Spenser Quinn writes dogs reasonably well, considering Bowser is a dog that IMMEDIATELY bonds with his human and minds right away. He's the kind of dog that humans wish all dogs were.
Woof is about a girl (Birdie) and her dog (Bowser). Birdie lives with her grandmother while her mother is working overseas. After returning to her grandmother's bait and tackle store after adopting her new dog, Bowser, Birdie's grandmother realizes someone stole the prized stuffed marlin from the store. The book is told from Bowser's point of view as he and Birdie try to solve the mystery of who stole the fish. It was a very funny story, especially when viewed through the dog's perspective. There were several times where we laughed at loud at something Bowser thought. We will definitely read the sequel, Arf, on an upcoming family trip after Max has finished reading the print version.
I'm giving this book five stars because I had a huge grin on my face the entire time I was listening to it. That isn't to say it's perfect, but it's fun enough that I don't mind so much. Maybe I'm just a sucker for books told from a dog's point of view and mysteries solved by clever, determined kids.
It works extremely well as an audiobook. I could see it being less effective—the dog's voice maybe being a bit more obnoxious—on paper. James Frangione absolutely nails the narration. Spencer Quinn's take on the canine mindset, too, is probably the best I've come across. Bowser understands English but not idioms. He doesn't always have the same priorities as the humans he's interacting with. His attention span and memory are both incredibly short. Basically, if dogs could understand what we're saying (beyond what they do currently understand), I'd expect them to act pretty much exactly like him.
Admittedly, it can get a little bit frustrating when you're putting the pieces together but Bowser isn't, but that's intentional. Bowser isn't really trying to solve a mystery. He's just trying to be a good companion for Birdie.
The characters in this book are brilliantly crafted. They're flawed and lovable, realistic but still carrying the charm of vibrant fiction. The setting, too, felt very solid and colorful. I could see the bait shop, the bayou, the bridge.
The only thing that really bothered me (and maybe this is a side effect of being an adult reader reviewing a kid's book) is that it didn't make a lot of sense for me for Birdie to hide the details of her investigation from adults. In a number of cases, it actually made things worse for her. Sure, the sheriff didn't quite believe in her at first, but she also didn't give him a lot of reason to. I know in books for younger readers, having the kids investigate and solve cases independently, without adult supervision, is preferred. That's fine with me. In this particular book, however, I just didn't get her motivation. There were a number of perfect openings for her to get real help, and she didn't take them. Now, it's established that Birdie doesn't always make the best decisions, and maybe her choices in this regard were simply part of her character. And maybe I'm just not the intended audience (and I acknowledge I'm not), but it bugged me. I simply would have liked a little bit more understanding of Birdie's reasoning (or, if it's purely emotional, for that to be clarified). This isn't enough of a problem to affect my rating, however.
MINOR SPOILERS BELOW
I suppose one other tiny thing is that parts of the final mystery were revealed in a way that didn't feel as tied to Birdie's investigation as they should have. Sure, Birdie probably wouldn't have gotten this information had she not taken certain steps, but ultimately it was another character's choice to reveal all this back story, and it felt a bit like the solution was just handed to the protagonist rather than her digging for it. Might be nitpicking on my part.
It works extremely well as an audiobook. I could see it being less effective—the dog's voice maybe being a bit more obnoxious—on paper. James Frangione absolutely nails the narration. Spencer Quinn's take on the canine mindset, too, is probably the best I've come across. Bowser understands English but not idioms. He doesn't always have the same priorities as the humans he's interacting with. His attention span and memory are both incredibly short. Basically, if dogs could understand what we're saying (beyond what they do currently understand), I'd expect them to act pretty much exactly like him.
Admittedly, it can get a little bit frustrating when you're putting the pieces together but Bowser isn't, but that's intentional. Bowser isn't really trying to solve a mystery. He's just trying to be a good companion for Birdie.
The characters in this book are brilliantly crafted. They're flawed and lovable, realistic but still carrying the charm of vibrant fiction. The setting, too, felt very solid and colorful. I could see the bait shop, the bayou, the bridge.
The only thing that really bothered me (and maybe this is a side effect of being an adult reader reviewing a kid's book) is that it didn't make a lot of sense for me for Birdie to hide the details of her investigation from adults. In a number of cases, it actually made things worse for her. Sure, the sheriff didn't quite believe in her at first, but she also didn't give him a lot of reason to. I know in books for younger readers, having the kids investigate and solve cases independently, without adult supervision, is preferred. That's fine with me. In this particular book, however, I just didn't get her motivation. There were a number of perfect openings for her to get real help, and she didn't take them. Now, it's established that Birdie doesn't always make the best decisions, and maybe her choices in this regard were simply part of her character. And maybe I'm just not the intended audience (and I acknowledge I'm not), but it bugged me. I simply would have liked a little bit more understanding of Birdie's reasoning (or, if it's purely emotional, for that to be clarified). This isn't enough of a problem to affect my rating, however.
MINOR SPOILERS BELOW
I suppose one other tiny thing is that parts of the final mystery were revealed in a way that didn't feel as tied to Birdie's investigation as they should have. Sure, Birdie probably wouldn't have gotten this information had she not taken certain steps, but ultimately it was another character's choice to reveal all this back story, and it felt a bit like the solution was just handed to the protagonist rather than her digging for it. Might be nitpicking on my part.
Absolutely adorable, I highly recommend the audiobook, the narrator is fantastic.
I have enjoyed the Chet and Bernie series that Quinn writes for adults, so I was excited to see that he had written for children, still writing from the dog's point of view. This book was great fun, a mystery set in the Louisiana Bayou.
Bowser (the dog)'s perspective is interesting, and the setting in small town Louisiana on a bayou is cool, but it's not enough to keep the mystery moving for me. Kids in grades 4-7 (the intended audience) may like it more, though. FWIW, I didn't really like "Dog On It" - Quinn's adult mystery, so it could just be a bad match for me.
I tried. I really tried to like this one. I gave it many chances and I just didn't care for it. I love stories about dogs and even stories from the dog's POV, but this one just irritated me. I listened to the audio and fell asleep 3 times! I finally made it through the book, and it fell flat for me. I read a fair amount of middle grade and younger, so I don't think that was the problem. I think a good chunk of the problem is that the humor felt forced. Kids might like it, though.
Birdie is about to make the best friend she will ever have in s scraggly giant of a dog she names Bowser. She is spending time with her grandmother in the Louisianan swamp where mystery is just around the corner. You see there is this big fish story about a treasure hidden somewhere, and only the map knows. But this map is hidden in this stuffed fish. This is a classic set up for most kids mysteries. The entire adventure is shown through the eyes of Bowser, but beware as he is easily distracted by bacon. A lovely romp for reading or listening, and I await time to delve into story 2.
#LittenLoveBingo #PetsofLitsy
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#LittenLoveBingo #PetsofLitsy
#NancyDrewChallenge #SetnearaRiver
So fun. I see why my daughter has been begging me to read it. It is strongly reminiscent of Chomp, her other favorite book, but Bowser is a unique narrator.