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*Build, Dogs, Build: A Tall Tail* by James Horvath
Build, Dogs, Build: A Tall Tail
by James Horvath
Ages 3-5 40 pages HarperCollins December 2013 Hardcover    

In this rhyming picture book, the Dig Dogs construction company is tearing down a crumbling building. Once the crew of dogs (male and female) arrive downtown, they use their noisy equipment (crane, bulldozer, dump truck) to knock the building down and clear the rubble away.

After they break for hotdogs, the workers prepare the foundation. They go underground to connect pipes. They pour concrete and build “tier after tier.” One dog welds while another uses the forklift.

The dogs behave like people in this story. They are not bothered by the cat that follows them or by the safety clothes they wear. They even make mistakes and get tired on the job. Despite some setbacks (a cascade of balls temporarily distracts them), the dogs are able to finish building their Pet House on Bark Avenue.

Horvath’s (Dig, Dogs, Dig: A Construction Tail) lively digital illustrations show the characters using various tools inside and outside the building. A few phrases in the story (Wreck, dogs, wreck/ Fetch, dogs, fetch) echo the style of the title. The names of all the crew members are given on the end pages of this book. I would share this book with children who like dogs, construction or machinery.
 


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  Tanya Boudreau/2014 for curled up with a good kid's book  






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