Good Dog, McTavish

A perceptive dog rescues a family in crisis with sheer cleverness and humor...Easton's grayscale illustrations in her debut offer a gentle counterpoint, depicting the round-shouldered members of the Peachey family with light skin and straight, dark hair. This book is a good selection for those ready for the next step beyond early readers and will undoubtedly create more children wanting a great dog to join the family.

Rosoff plays around with our usual people-centered view of events in this short, amusing book, as it switches back and forth between human and canine perspectives. Twelve distinctive full-page pictures illustrate the story. From the appealing premise to the deftly drawn characters and satisfying conclusion, this early chapter book delivers a very readable story laced with dry humor.

A dog adopted from the local pound sets a family straight in this wryly funny chapter book from acclaimed British author Meg Rosoff. Dog owners know well that dogs are accomplished at getting humans to do their bidding, and Rosoff wrings every last bit of humor from this idea.

In Meg Rosoff’s droll morality tale ‘Good Dog, McTavish’, children ages 7-11 will find no ogres to be outwitted, but they will observe in the travails of the Peachey family a great deal of fecklessness and ill humor...Monochrome illustrations by Grace Easton add wry humor to this short, entertaining read.

Fetching from start to finish, this novel by Printz Award winner Rosoff (How I Live Now) introduces the Peacheys, a family in disarray, and McTavish, the clever canine who comes to their rescue...McTavish’s sorting-out of the Peacheys conveniently serves his own interests (he uses clothes strewn on the floor to make his bed cozier and feigns lack of appetite to get the kids to cook healthy meals for all)—while teaching his new family much-needed lessons with droll flair.

Brilliant, wise, witty and loads of fun, "Good Dog, McTavish" is pitch-perfect in every way.