Never Cry Woof!

by Jane Wattenberg

Book Overview

Jane Wattenberg's sly revival of Aesop's fable proves that you CAN teach an old dog new tricks. "Do you brag? Do you boast? Think you're hot, buttered toast? Have you ever told a whopper? A glib fib?... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0439216753
• ISBN13: 9780439216753
• Release Date: March 2005
• Publisher: Scholastic Press
• Length: 40 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 9.8" x 11.3"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

the dog who cried wolf!

NEVER CRY WOOF! by Jane Wattenberg This is a hilarious children's book! It is a retelling of the famous "boy who cried wolf" story starring two dogs, one named Hunky-Dory and another named Bix. Hunky-Dory tries to play by the rules while Bix is impatient and impulsive. Both dogs get hired to watch separate flocks of sheep in order to protect them from wolves. Bix speaks in a funny dog form of beatnik lingo and doesn't take his job very seriously, which of course bothers the other canines. The book puts a new twist on the old tale of personal responsibility. The pictures are also very colorful and sure to get a reaction from kids, especially dog lovers! I recommend this book and look forward to reading more books from Ms. Wattenberg!

very cool

This is a modern day retelling of the classic story Never cry wolf. This is told with dogs as the main characters. These dog apply for the job of sheep protectors! They all do a great job. One day one of the dogs gets bored. He decides to call out for help from his fellow sheep guards. They come only to find out that it was just a mean trick! He does this a few times and the dog finally decide they have had enough. This time they don't go to help him and the wolf really comes! The photo-montages are amazing and the text is fun and hip! This is one fast paced, action packed, amazing book. It will apeal to kids and adults as well!

Doggone Delcious

Jane Wattenberg's retelling of Aesop's fable is brillantly Baaad! And that means good in sheep lingo. Vain, Bix- a dog with movie star aspirations- has an ego that is bound to crash when reality meets fantasy. He just doesn't have what it takes to do the boring work of watching sheep, while Hunky-Dory, a solid hard working dog, just follows the sheep dog's rules. The unfortunate losers are three sheep, while Bix, walks away (we hope) having a bit of a bad conscience that might make him a less self-involved pup. I love this book. Kids love it. You will too!

Ms. Wattenberg does it again

Let me qualify this by saying that my dogs appear in Ms. Wattenberg's book and that I had the chance to watch her during their photo shoot. That said, 'Never Cry Woof!' is a great entry into her unique canon of kids books. I first read her terrific 'Henny Penny.' Although I don't have kids, I enjoyed every page. She does a great job of making her characters feel real (the photography merged with illustration and typography helps). Her use of bright colors, strong shapes and backgrounds, cinematic angles, and the cutest critters make for a read that feels like a slice of life combined with traditional storytelling for an exciting, modern effect. All the visuals aside, her writing is a hoot -- she even folds in foreign languages in a clever and rare attempt to open kids' minds to other tongues. Try this one out. It's refreshing and different.