Carl's Afternoon in the Park

This one I read while I was waiting for the Offspring to finish browsing. Carl is adorable. I enjoy the adventures he and the babies get up to when no one is looking.

Library copy.

Since this book is a wordless picture book it can be great for younger kids in expanding their way of thinking. By using this wordless book you can have kids (maybe grades K-1) come up with their own idea of what's happening in the pictures. They can build their own story based on what they see and develop their higher order thinking skills.

A couple of negligent women leave a large dog to supervise an infant and a puppy in a public park while they head off to have tea.

Fortunately, Carl is up to the task, and fun is had by all.

Oh, and this is where I learned that Carl's owner's name is Sarah. The baby's name of Madeleine is mentioned in Carl Goes to Daycare.

#1507 in our old book database. Rated "Good" by Rod and Adelia.

"Carl's Afternoon in the Park" follows a dog, his little owner, and their friend - a puppy. This historical fiction is primarily a picture book, with words only on the first and last pages. All pages in between are filled with beautiful illustrations, many of which have hidden images within such as dog faces or small children. The book tells the story of the three friend's adventurous day away from their mothers. The women sit down to have tea but the dogs and the child leave the little area and head through the park and zoo. They all make it back just in time for their mothers to come get them.

Carl is a good friend, and a good babysitter, and the most responsible, observant of all the characters. He would be a good object lesson for older students on how to be a good babysitter. For younger children, the visual comedy is enjoyable.

This was one of my childhood books, so I should probably mark it as read in 1995 or some such. Mostly without words (only the first and last pages have dialogue from the mother), Carl the dog takes Baby and Puppy on a day out to the park, where they go to the zoo, get ice cream, and join a painting group- a very busy afternoon.

My son borrowed this one from his preschool. At the time I had trouble wrapping my head around a wordless picture book.