Big Dog .. Little Dog

Ted and Fred are opposites in many ways, but are still best of friends. After belaboring their differences for most of the book a silly little problem is introduced at the end regarding restless sleep but is quickly resolved

Huh? So?

This just doesn't have the charm or energy or purpose of Eastman's better books.

This classic book from P.D. Eastman tells the story of Fred and Ted, two dogs that are friends but also polar opposites. The book illustrates (both literally and through the text) how the two differ in a variety of ways, both physically (i.e., the big and little referenced in the title) and through personal choices. Things get especially hairy when they visit a hotel and the big dog ends up in a tiny bed while the little one sleeps in a super-large one.

I shared this book with my toddler class for a unit on dogs, and they absolutely loved it. They asked to hear it again on multiple occasions. Best of all, just by listening to this book they were absorbing information about the concept of opposites while learning that friends can enjoy show more different things/be different from one another yet still have fun together! show less

The big idea for this book is to illustrate opposites between two dogs and to engage young readers in a fun and educational way. I enjoyed this book for three reasons. The first reason being the simplicity of the writing style, “Fred and Ted were friends. Fred was big. Ted was little.” The sentences are short and to the point using vocabulary that younger readers can understand and may even be able to read themselves. The second reason being the flowing patterned language style. Eastman uses a rhyming pattern, one way simply being in the names of Fred and Ted. The story is interesting because it is not only about patterns but has an actual lesson along with it. Ted is the little dog and cannot sleep in the big bed and Fred is the show more big dog that cannot sleep in the little bed. The next morning they go for a walk and cannot figure out what the problem is until a little bird comes along and advises them to switch beds. This gives young readers the impression that making big problems out of little problems is useless when there is always a simple solution to all the problems you may face. show less

This book is so funny and so great. The main point of this book is to describe that 2 friends have many similarities and differences, but that they are still able to be friends. I like this, because students need to learn this lesson, so in a way, that is the main thing I like about this book. Another reason I really think this is a good book is because it is an easy read. There are not too many words on a page, and I think that makes a big impact; kids won’t be intimidated. The pictures on the page are also really good because it helps the child understand what is being said, even if they are too young to actually read the book. There are not too many other things to say about this book because it’s just a simple book, with a good show more lesson. It’s not the greatest book I have ever read but it is definitely a good easy reader for students in kindergarten or 1st grade. show less

This would be a neat book to use to practice identifying opposites in Spanish. It is also bilingual, making it easy and fun to read alone.

Simple enough for any kid with the bare basic proficiency in reading :)

Or, you could read it aloud to a younger child, that works too.

My nieces (5 and 2.5) request this book often enough. I'm not sure what grabs them - the opposites, Fred's plain bad luck, the silly problem and solution at the end - but they do like it a lot.

“Big Dog Little Dog” is a great book for beginning readers. This book makes comparisons of the concept of big and small. It also provides examples of differences children encounter in their daily lives. For example: wet versus dry, red versus green, slow versus fast, cold versus warm, and many others. This book is written in a poetic format to illustrate these comparisons. The major lesson in this book is to teach children new concepts that they will face in their daily lives. This is seen through the key details of the text along with illustrations on each page. Children can use these pictures to better understand the message of the text. This book is a great read for children to learn new concepts and ideas.