Alexandra Day

Carl is a Rottweiler, and his people go to Grandma's and church one day, leaving him home alone with the baby. Carl maybe should learn to use the telephone so he can call protective services, especially as his people still haven't come home by nightfall. But Carl does an amazing job taking care of the baby, taking her on some lovely adventures and snuggling her to sleep and greeting Santa Claus on her behalf. An absolute delight of an almost-wordless picture book with simply gorgeous show more illustrations. show less

That baby-sitting Rottweiler, Carl, returns in this second mostly wordless picture-book from artist Alexandra Day, as Mother once again leaves her baby in her dog's care, while she runs off to another part of the store where they are shopping. Dog and infant immediately embark on an adventurous tour of said store, exploring the various departments, and having lots of fun - playing with the toys in the toy department, sampling the treats in the fine foods department - before returning to the show more spot where Mother left them.

Just as charming as the first Carl adventure, Good Dog, Carl, this entry in the series had a number of humorous details that I appreciated - I found the title of the book that Carl and the baby "read" together, Rottweilers I Have Known, particularly droll - and the lovely artwork I have come to associate with these books. It's amusing to note that some reviewers seem very put off by the concept of a baby being left in the charge of a Rottweiler, as I think this is really just a sweet fantasy, and not intended as a realistic depiction of parenting or dog companionship. show less

In this first of a series of wordless picture-book devoted to the adventures of a baby-sitting Rottweiler (don't try this at home, parents!), Mother instructs Carl to 'look after the baby," and goes out. Naturally, a dog and infant have better things to do than nap, so baby crawls out of its crib, and Carl oversees its messy (and rather chaotic) playtime, before shepherding his charge back to bed...

I found this little book charming, and am glad I finally gave this series, and its creator, a show more chance! Of course I've long been familiar with the Carl books, but it was only when I read some glowing reviews by a friend (thanks, Gundula!), that I finally tracked one down, and really looked at it. The artwork, done in egg tempera, is just lovely, Carl is a winsome characters, and the story is amusing. One hopes, of course, that no one is actually using a Rottweiler as a baby-sitter, but as a fun fantasy, this tale works! show less

Carl and Madeleine explore a dog show. It's not much of a story but for people who like picture books and dogs it's amusing and pretty to flip through. The illustrations are active with plenty of things going on in the pictures, and the dog show itself is pretty accurate to the real thing, with numbered rings, vendors, and dogs in grooming areas wearing ear wraps or snoods and towels. At the back of the book are three pages with pictures of the dog breeds shown throughout the book, shown show more more or less accurately, and a parent and child or friends could enjoy a seek and find game, looking for the different breeds in the pages.

I enjoy the Carl books and I enjoy this one in particular because of my own time spent at dog shows. A budding dog fan or handler would likely enjoy this as well. show less