Love That Dog

A literacy volunteer brought this book to my attention. It is a great way to introduce poetry, a writing journal, and learning new words in a manner that readers and beginners of any age can appreciate. I can see how Jack's story would lend itself to discussion. The idea that sentences and poetry can take many forms...varied .spaces between words or thoughts, different size fonts, written in circles or other recognizable shapes, and that not all poems involve rhyming couplets is liberating. It also covered a child dealing with the loss of a beloved pet.

This book is a great guided reading book for grades 4-5. My students were very involved with the characters and even began to write their own poems based on the characters and their poems.
**** My class wrote to Sharon Creech and she wrote back to us!!!!

Love that Dog?
Love this book!

It is wonderful - quirky, gentle and reminds you just how much fun poetry can be.

Careful. You may be inspired to write some poetry yourself.

It is worth the risk.

Beautifully written. I use this story to teach a poetry unit to 5th graders, we make our own "Love Those 5th Graders" class poetry book. This isn't one of those books that the kids will pick up and read on their own, but only until after we read it together and to write poems do the students clamor to read this from the classroom library. Love that book.

I purchased several of these books to use in literature circles with my 4th grade students. Before I even had the chance to pass the books out, several of them started falling apart! I am so disappointed that I already have to tape these books together and they have not even been used.

I bought this book to use while teaching my poetry unit in 3rd grade. To be honest, it was not what I expected and did not keep my students attention. The book might be better understood and appreciated for older students, but for the purpose of teaching poetry, I was not impressed.

Many students are leery of poetry. They often don't "get" the meaning the teacher thinks is obvious. They don't understand why it doesn't all rhyme. They are unsure of how to read it and struggle to find the cadence of the poem. Jack, the narrator of Love that Dog, feels all of these emotions and relates them to the reader in a way only straight-shooting boys can do. He begins the novel by writing "I don't want to/ because boys/ don't write poetry./ Girls do." (Creech 1) in what appears to be a reading/writing journal for class. Through the book, Jack grows as a reader and a write, often sharing insightful reflection to the poems his teacher Miss. Stretchberry reads to the class.
The beauty of this capturing tale of free verse is the honest, reflective voice of a boy who is hurting from the loss of his dog, Sky. From the first page, the reader feels for Jack, who is reluctant to even attempt to write a poem. His honesty epitomizes how many students feel about writing poetry when he says, "Then any words/ can be a poem./ You've just got to/ make/ short/ lines" (Creech 3). Jack's simple words at the beginning grow to elaborate poems, including one shaped to look like his dog, that the teacher is able to share with the class. (Jack insists that they be kept anonymous.) By the middle of the of the book, the boy who at first thought he couldn't write a poem and that poems didn't make sense later shares that his brain was "pop-pop-popping" (Creech 35) as he read poems and began to write his own. At the end of the book, Jack shares what he couldn't before: the story of his own dog's death. Poetry opened a world up for Jack, and it can for other students.
This gripping tale shares a lesson for many people. For students, it shows how poetry should be written to the beat of the writer's heart, no matter what form that may be. For teachers, it shows how poetry should be shared and celebrated as Jack's teacher hung up poems by her students and encouraged Jack to write Walter Dean Myers. (Also, the book is set up as an interactive journal that the teacher read regularly, which fosters a sense of security for the students to write openly.) And for the pleasure reader, it is a heartwarming reminder of the loss of a pet and those emotions that come with it.
The first poem (quoted above) is a terrific way to start this book although I believe the whole book is one to be shared with students. This book would serve well as a book club book or a literature circle book. It's a book to be shared, discussed, and used as a springboard for writing. One poem taken and read alone doesn't do this wonderful book justice.
Although I read this book with the intention of reviewing it for class, this book gripped my heart. As I type this review, I am sitting near my father as he fights his last battle with cancer. This book reminds us of the loss of ones we love. The poem by Walter Dean Myers and then by Jack make me think of my dad, and I could replace it with "Love that Dad."
Love that Boy
By Walter Dean Myers

Love that Boy,
Like a rabbit loves to run
I said I love that boy
Like a rabbit loves to run
Love to call him in the morning
Love to call him
"Hey there, son!"

Love that Dog
Inspired by Walter Dean Myers
By Jack

Love that dog,
Like a bird loves to fly
I said I love that dog
Like a bird loves to fly
Love to call him in the morning
Love to call him
"Hey there, Sky!"

Love that Dad
Inspired by Walter Dean Myers and Jack
By Laura

Love that Dad,
Like a book loves words
I said I love that Dad
Like a book loves words
Love to call him in the morning
Love to call him
"Hey there, Dad!"

As of this review, `Love That Dog' has 171 reviews posted on the store, and it's no wonder for this is a powerful book. I've been reading this book to elementary school kids since it was first published in 2001 for that very reason. Powerful because with each passing day recorded by Jack, you experience the power of descriptive prose at it's simplest, yet emotional best. It draws you in slowly and surely through the hesitant unintentional prose of young Jack. Encouraged by his teacher Mrs. Stretchberry (surely a metaphor for stretching one's mind and talents), Jack begins to apply lessons learned from the famous works of Robert Frost, William Blake, and Valerie Worth to his own writings.

As Jack grows in confidence and skill, our own understanding of poetry as story telling is enhanced. `Love That Dog' is an excellent read aloud book, and is most successful if it's read by an adult aloud on the first reading. That way the suspense and poetic format is handled in a meaningful way. This isn't a book to read quickly through like a typical picture book. It is a short story written in prose that grows in feeling, and urgency with each page. It's a journey for Jack and for all who read and reflect upon it.

This short 86-page poetic novel is made for every child who has ever resisted reading a poem, or writing one.
The story pulls details from eight poems. In September, Jack, the child narrator in Miss Stretchberry's Room 105, can't understand an unnamed "poem about/the red wheelbarrow/and the white chickens" (William Carlos Williams). In October, a few pages later, he fails to grasp "the tiger tiger burning bright poem/but at least it sounded good in my ears" (William Blake). By January, he's concluded that "Mr. Robert Frost/ who wrote/about the pasture/ was also the one/ who wrote about/ those snowy woods/ and the miles to go/ before he sleeps---well!"
That is also the month Jack writes a poem about his family's trip to the dog pound. There, he chose from among "big and small/ fat and skinny/ some of them/ hiding in the corner/ but most of them bark-bark-barking and/ jumping up against the wire cage" a yellow dog standing "with his paws curled around the wire/and his long red tongue/ hanging out".
By March, Jack has waxed enthusiastic about a poem by "Mr. Walter Dean Myers/ the best best BEST/ poem/ever." He has even related it to his experience with the yellow dog, whom he named Sky. In April, Jack writes to Mr. Walter Dean Myers. And in May the poet agrees to visit the school. As Mr. Walter Dean Myers reads poems to the class on June 1, Jack finds "All of my blood/in my veins/ was bubbling/and all of the thoughts/ in my head/ were buzzing." That's about how it feels to love a poem.
Several other important details make this book a keeper--not least, what happened to Jack's dog, and his closing poem.
At the end, Creech shares the eight poems to which she refers throughout: William Carlos Williams' "Red Wheelbarrow," Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" and "The Pasture," William Blake's "Tiger," Valerie Worth's "dog," Arnold Adoff's "Street Music," S.C. Rigg's "The Apple," and Walter Dean Myers' "Love That Boy."
If you want children to love poems, just give them this one. Alyssa A. Lappen

The popularity of "Love That Dog" cannot be denied. What is it about this cute little story told through poems about a boy coming to terms with poetry and his dead dog that so many people adore? Is it the touching tale of a kid who misses his pet? Is it the first page, which sports the phrase, "I don't want to because boys don't write poetry. Girls do"? Or is it the fact that the book is approximately 86 pages in length (not including the eight short poems in the back) and can be read in approximately twenty minutes? I suspect the last. After all, this book is on many a summer reading list. Kids aren't fools and they'll grab the nearest shortest book that they can (if they get a chance). The lucky thing is, the book's pretty okay.

I've already quoted to you the first line in the story. From what the reader can gather, a teacher by the name of Mrs. Stretchberry has told her class that they are required to write one poem a day and hand it in to her. Jack, our protagonist in this tale, is not pleased. He doesn't want to write poetry and he doesn't much care for some of the poems Mrs. Stretchberry reads. His response to Robert Frost's, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" is a concise, "Why doesn't the person just keep going if he's got so many miles to go before he sleeps?" Good question. But as the class progresses and Jack begins to understand more and more about what makes a poem good (he has some insightful comments on that topic). He begins to write poems in earnest and he becomes fascinated with the author/poet Walter Dean Myers. Suddenly Jack is desirous of nothing but getting Mr. Myers into his school to speak. To his delight, the man agrees and Jack is in heaven. Throughout this story he has also been slowly writing about his yellow dog Sky who was hit by a car. The final poem by Jack is a kind of ode to his dear departed pet, at last coming to terms with Sky's death.

This is an excellent way of introducing kids to poetry. I liked that Jack assumed most of poetry consisted of how one breaks up sentences. He suspects at one point that perhaps poets like Robert Frost just wrote out their poems and then someone (possibly their teachers) broke them up and posted them for everyone to see (just as Mrs. Stretchberry does). The book works hard to make it clear that poetry is not restricted to women, either as readers or as writers. The arrival of Walter Dean Myers makes this very clear as well. I was admittedly a little shocked that author Sharon Creech chose that particular poet as her visiting maestro. I mean, I like Myers, don't get me wrong. I've admittedly only ever read his young adult books ("Monster" and such) and they were fine, but this book doesn't just put him on a pedestal. It flatters, praises, lauds, and sings the praises of him. He becomes the ultimate poet extraordinaire, as funny as he is nice. Which is great I guess... but why Walter Dean Myers specifically? The world may never know.

If I could change anything about this book, I guess I'd make it clear from the start that the poems that Jack comments on throughout the story appears in the back of the text. As it is, the reader only happens upon them accidentally by the tale's end. "Love That Dog" isn't as strong as Creech's, "Walk Two Moons", but to be fair, it's written for an entirely different audience. Forget reluctant readers. This book is written for reluctant poets. Those kids that will pick it up hoping to read through something easy may find themselves enticed to write their own poetry after a couple pages. I know I was, and I'm 26. Strong praise indeed.

Summary: Love that dog is about a boy named Jack whose teacher, Ms. Strechberry inspired him to write poetry. At first he could not write anything. Jack starts saying how he does not understand a poem Ms. Strechberry read to his class and realize that it is a poem. Jack starts to write some poetry which ms. Strechberry posts on the blackboard but Jack tells Ms. Strechberry that he does not want his name on it. Jack ends up liking to write poetry. Ms. Strechberry asks Jack if he had any kind of a pet, and Jack said that he used to have a dog named Sky. He wrote a poem that told how he got Sky and how happy Sky was when he picked him instead of the other dogs. Later Jack wrote a very sad poem about how Sky was hit by a car and died. All of the poems that Jack wrote that were put on the black board he had typed up and put on yellow paper. Jack's classmates were very impressed with all of the poems that he wrote and they wanted to know who wrote them. One day Jack sent Mr. Walter Dean Myers a letter asking him to come to his school and visit his class. So Mr. Walter Dean Myers came to Jack's school and his class and was impressed with Jack's poems. A few days later, Jack sent Mr. Walter Dean Myers a letter with a new poem that he wrote:

Love that dog

Like a bird loves to fly

I said I love that dog

Like a bird loves to fly

Love to call him in the morning

Love to call him

"Hey there Sky"

Jack let his teacher put his name on that poem. That is where the book, Love That Dog, ends.

Review: Love that Dog is a very good book. Love that Dog has 86 pages and the average page is 70-90 words long. At first you would think that it is a kinder garden book. Well, it sort of is, but it is a good book to read no matter what your age is. I would recommend this book to animal lovers, especially dog lovers. Love that Dog makes you realize how easily something you love can be taken away. Also, if you have a book report due soon and you haven't started a book this is also a good book, because you can read the whole thing in 20 minutes. I would highly recommend this book to anyone because it is very good!

Attention all dog lovers from third to sixth grade! Love That Dog is a delightful and unusual book about a boy and his dog. An incident with the dog inspires his owner to unwittingly create poems. How does that happen? That is the story.
Sharon Creech, the author of this book, as well as the Newbery Medal winner Walk Two Moons, The Wanderer, and Chasing Redbird, was a high school English and writing teacher for fifteen years. Creech decided to write Love That Dog when a high school writing class arrived with a built-in dread of poetry. This story is based on the reactions of her students to writing poetry. Creech became mesmerized with the rhythms and the way a poet could put so much feeling into so few words when she had a teacher who made poetry exciting. She wrote Love That Dog to demonstrate how enjoyable poetry can be.
The idea for her first book evolved from a made up story for a class. "I started by telling my class a short story that just kept getting longer and longer, until I realized I was hooked on it, and I continued to write novels thereafter," said Creech at an interview with Bookwire. "I have written stories for as long as I can remember."
This novel has no illustrations, but the shape of the paragraphs and the creative placement of the poems
on the page substitute for even the most detailed drawings.
Why do you want
to type up what I wrote
about reading
the small poems?
The reader must observe the inter-esting shapes to really savor the story.
Jack, who despises poetry, even-tually makes a turnabout as he slowly reveals the story of his dog Sky, through his poems.
If you are a dog lover, like po-etry, or even if you don't, this is the book for you! A fast, delightful read. A book you don't want to pass by!

This is a simple, short book that is mostly composed of correspondence between a boy and his poetry teacher. It would probably help to know in advance that the referenced poems: The Red Wheelbarrow by Carlos Williams, Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost, (the first stanza of) The Tiger by William Blake, Dog by Valerie Worth, Pasture by Robert Frost, Street Music by Arnold Adoff, The Apple by S.C. Rigg, and (the first stanza of) Love That Boy by Walter Dean Myers are included in the back.

As the boy experiments with poetry writing and is exposed to a variety of poems (specifically those listed above), he gains confidence in his own abilities and ultimately is able to compose a poem about his dog's demise. Additionally, he writes another, inspired by Water Dean Myers, which shares its title with the book. Love That Dog is a cute, clever book that takes a unique approach to poetry. Also good: Polkabats and Octopus Slacks by Calef Brown, and pretty much anything by Jack Prelutsky.

I really enjoyed reading this book in class.

My favorite poem was the first one

That got my attention:

"I don't want to

Because boys

Don't write poetry.

Girls DO"

That isn't true because boys

DO

Write poetry.

The second poem that I liked was

"I tried

Can't do it.

Brain's empty."

Jack was writing about a blue car

Speeding down the road.

He really didn't

Want to

Write about it because

His dog got run over

By a blue car speeding

Down the road.

It really reminded

Me when my dog got run over

But it wasn't a blue car.

It was a black car with

A drunken man driving inside the car.

Without stopping to see

If there were children

Or animals

In the road.

So I

Know how he felt when he didn't

Want to write about that.

this little book by sharon creech fascinated me since i first saw it on barbara's kitchen table over a month ago. it turns out, it was a breakfast book club selection for country club elementary school and their innovative literacy program. i couldn't take it with me then, but today she relented.

she leads the third grade section of the early morning book club, and told me how the session had gone. kids sitting in a circle, she started the morning by asking them to simply say "liked it/didn't like it" as a kind of vote to kick things off. they got all the way around the circle with kids saying "didn't like it" `til they got to barbara and carlie who made it clear how much they LOVED it. and then they told the kids why. and their why, of course, related to the pure joy of the slow awakening of the protagonist as he learned to let himself write. once this story was told, all the former "didn't like it"s were able to say, "oh, now i understand it. when you put it like that, i like it too" and barbara was able to say, "that's the miracle of a good book club." and the kids were able to go back to school a bit more in love with reading and the community of each other and the possibilities brought to light by talking about the book.

and this little book treasure is a spectacular bit of inspiration for teachers, writers, poets, students of poetry and lovers of dogs everywhere. the moving construction of the story, with creech sharing only the student's one sided series of responses to an imagined teacher's encouragement, is a brilliant and gentle opening for reader and protagonist. the student poet's reluctance to write poetry, admit his writing was poetry, acknowledge his authorship, allow himself the inspiration of his predecessors, and finally tell his whole, painful, beautiful truth is such a profoundly moving journey that it brought tears to my eyes half a dozen times through the quick read of the book.

i was especially moved by the young poet's letter to the published one. i imagined what it must feel like to receive such a letter and respond to such a heartfelt request. i imagined the joy of receiving the gift of having the author show up at the kind invitation of a young student who, so obviously, loved him. i thought of the radical act of transformation that happens accidently when the poet shows up, speaks his moving words in his own voice, with the precision of meaning conveyed through his own inflection, and the student hearing his reader's joy from the mouth of it's maker. i remember being in the audience when nzotke shange, alice walker, rachel rosenthal, maya angelou, deena metzger, and other lesser known goddesses spoke their poetry magic to my reader's ears in front of my devoted reader's eyes. this radical act of showing up is always a miracle with the power to alter life trajectories for those heaven has sent to their listening crowd. i felt this miracle happen for jack, in miss stretchberry's classroom, where mr. walter dean myers appeared one immortal day.

of course the unsung, unspoken hero of the story is miss stretchberry--for her innovative approach to teaching poetry, inspiring young writers and making generous and effective use of her typing skills, bulletin board and various colored construction paper. as always, i am captivated by the profound impact of the least well paid professionals among us, and count their work as the work of angels on this earth. certainly, jack is invited into a wider world of self expression, with a little side dish of healing, offered by his relationship to the poetic pieces introduced by his teacher and the kind way he is encouraged. jack, who seems to be a clear minded and definite child, is certainly not shy to say how he wants things. he stands up to his teacher and takes her suggestions head on. he decides if and when he will follow her lead. oh, to have such a student--what a dream! and to know what to do with a child like this--to guide him out of his anonymity and fear and into the bright light of his truest truth telling--to be a teacher of this caliber, with this effect on a single student, wouldn't this be the most rewarding professional endeavor imaginable?

and so, this book gets all the thumbs up of an overcrowded classroom full of the future. this book is a keeper, a great gift, a joy filled and moving read.

Delightful! Enchanting! - Not words I often use to describe boy's preteen literature, but I actually used those very words to describe this book to a friend.

Disclaimer: I love poetry. I love, love, love poetry. I didn't always love it, but I blame that on the "poetry" (hardly worth bearing the name poetry) that is often taught in schools. I don't know why textbook companies insist on anthologizing the ones they do when there are so many others students of all ages would love.

My love of poetry runs so deeply that for my son's first Christmas I bought him A Family of Poems (Introduction by Caroline Kennedy) and inscribed these words on the end sheet: "English is not a romance language like French or Italian; however, throughout the centuries, talented poets have managed to capture its beauty and depth of thought. May you hear the music words can bring - always." Over the last 6 years, this book has been well-loved and become well-worn.

When my son marched through the house shouting, "Upstains, downstairs, all-around stairs," I squealed in delight, "That's iambic pentameter!" When he began reciting the first stanza of "Hope is the Thing with Feathers" and "The Tyger," I proudly prompted him to "do it again" to anyone who would listen. So it is no surprise that upon opening Love that Dog and seeing that it was written in free-verse form, I audibly gasped in delight; it is a somewhat rare form in literature, especially pre-teen literature. I crossed my legs and sat down, Indian-style right there in the middle of the bookstore aisle and proceeded to read the first page:

JACK

R00M 105 - MISS STRETCHBERRY

SEPTEMBER 13

I don't want to

because boys

don't write poetry.

Girls do.

Not only did I hold in a my hands a book written in free verse, but a book with a male narrator, who like many boys consider poetry "girl's stuff." The combination of title (Love That Dog ), form (free verse), and narrator (preteen male) had me plunking down the $5.99 without reading any further.

I couldn't wait to read it cover to cover with my son, and I didn't have to wait long. The next stop was an oil change, and we certainly brought a bit of culture to the waiting room. If I was enchanted before, I quickly became utterly delighted. Creech not only writes the story of a dynamic narrator who learns the beauty of language and the joys of its manipulation, but also seamlessly incorporates famous poems by William Carlos Williams, Robert Frost and William Blake. The only allusions my son recognized were the ones to "The Tyger," but thanks to Creech's foresight copies of all the poems referenced are included at the end.

The narrator was charming; the story, endearing and the poems, quality. My only criticism is that the end appeared a bit hurried, yet perhaps it was intentional, recognizing the attention span of her audience. Still, Love that Dog has quickly become one of my favorites and Hate that Cat will surely be our next book purchase.

I was delighted to discover this book and have thoroughly enjoyed sharing it with my students as well as my own children. LOVE THAT DOG is a delicious way to introduce young readers to free verse poetry...
However, in reading this book we are to believe that the poems are written by a young elementary student. In all honesty, Jack's attempts read very much like prose that is simply rearranged on the page with poetry-like line breaks. Students I have worked with through the years are capable of so much more!
So, while I LOVE this book and will continue to use it in my classroom, I certainly don't intend to neglect other poetry books that have delighted and inspired my young creative writers such as: ALL THE SMALL POEMS by Valerie Worth and LITTLE DOG POEMS by Kristine O'Connell George. LITTLE DOG POEMS, in combination with LOVE THAT DOG, is particularly powerful since these short poems are not only about a much-loved dog, but are also written in a first-person child's voice.
Worth, George, and other many other poets are needed in the "mix" to help young writers and readers understand that poetry is not *just* short lines and a lot of white space -- but that poetry is also about metaphor, imagery, and some of the amazing and surprising connections that can be made through lanaguage when we write poetry.

Love That Dog By Sharon Creech
Love That Dog is an inspirational book for poetry lovers. I think Sharon Creech has and outstanding sense of imagination. Her book has inspired me to read and write poetry. I would recommend this book for people that have a great sense of wonder and poetry. This book is wonderful for three reasons. One, because it inspires you to read and write poetry. Two, because it has some very famous writers writing their poetry. And three, because it is an easy book to read. I would rate this book from 1-10, 10 being the best, a ten. This is a ten for 1 reason; it is a good book for people of ages 10+. Well that is my review of the book Love That Dog. I hope you enjoy the book!
Brittany G.

Love that dog
By: Sharon Creech
I don't want to
because boys
don't write poetry.
Girls do.
The plot of the story in this book was that a boy named Jack who was scared to write poems because boys don't write poetry girls do. With the help of his teacher, pencil and some paper he gets the courage to tell his story. With some twists added in. He even gets to meet his favorite poetry writer when he comes to his school. The genre of this story would by fantasy.

I found this book really good because the interesting way the author wrote it by only showing the boys side of the conversation. I would recommend this book to kids able to read all the way up to 14, and people who enjoy fantasy books. This book really made me enjoy the style of writing. I had never read a book with that style of writing. I think anyone who read this book would enjoy reading it. Its not a page turner but there is something about it that made me keep reading.

Love That Dog is purely awesome!!!
I think the main reason I love it is that it appeals to so many different types of people. It can appeal to poetry lovers, since it is written in poems and there are several famous examples at the back. It can appeal to poetry haters, because that is exactly what the "author" of the poems, Jack, is- a boy who considers poetry for sissies. It can appeal to teachers, because it gives you some great ideas for classroom studies of poetry. It can appeal to people who are looking for a humorous, touching book that's a quick read.
I have read it many times simply because it is so immensely enjoyable.
Buy this now- It's cheap, and I really don't think you'll ever regret it!

In poetry form this book explores what happens
when a teacher introduces poetry to a young boy
in her class. Using the students poems as a way of communicating with his teacher, the author and winner of The Newberry Medal presents a delightful tale for young children. I think adults will also enjoy this book. And as an added bonus, in the back of the book are the poems which the teachers uses to illustrate her lessons.
Do not miss this book if you or your child enjoys poetry or wants to try writing a bit. Even if you're not all that fond of this medium, see if this book doesnt' convince you to read a bit more or even take pen in hand and truy to create some of yoru own poems.