Always in Trouble

This book has a very simplistic plot with engaging illustrations. This book allowed me to teach a number of different things. I thoroughly enjoyed this text, as did the class of third graders I read it to. Using this text, I was able to cover the days of the week, the process of predictions, and that no one is perfect, which is the overall theme of the text.

Noah Z. Jone's zany illustrations are a perfect compliment to this fun story about misbehaving. Every day of the week Toby the dog finds some kind of mischief and gets into trouble. He goes to school, gets diploma, then eats his diploma. This very funny picture book is very much like Nick Bruel's "Bad Kitty."

This book was a great read especially for the owners of dogs. I enjoyed the story about the family dog that is always finding away to get in trouble from getting in the garbage, chewing up clothing and urinating on the carpet. Classic qualities of a bad pet. The illustrations along with the fun day by day encounters make this a Hilarious story that ends with love and respect from the pet family! A fun read for students grade five and lower.

This is a very endearing story about a pet dog that is not bad, just mischievous. Toby and his family clearly love each other, he just can’t seem to figure out how to behave – at least not all the time. A lot of children will relate to Toby’s issues keeping out of trouble, because the dog reminds me a lot of the average third to fifth grader – good intentions, but full of energy and curiosity, therefore bound to find mischief when left to his own devices. There are lots of cute ironies in this book that young children may not notice, but adults certainly will. For example, the teacher of the dog training school is named “Ms. Katz”. Also, the magazine that gets chewed up by Toby is entitled “Good Dog Magazine”. I also show more liked the fact that Toby’s family appears to be African American, lower middle class. This is a nice change of pace from the usual upper middle class Caucasian family that seems to be portrayed in many books. This book is a great read for any age group as a read aloud, and Toby is bound to capture their hearts. show less

This would be a great story for reading aloud. There are repetitive patterns and it is full og humor. The story is written in a simple, easy to understand way that is great for young children. This story is also easy for many families to relate to, making it much more enjoyable to read. I like how the story has the father baking, swaying away from the norm that the mother is the baker. I also like how the characters are not the “white” family often found in children's stories.
The illustrations are done in bold colors with heavy black lines. They are entertaining, child-like, and add an extra element of humor to the story.

Always in Trouble is a delightful tale about a misunderstood young dog named Toby. Toby is always doing something to get into trouble. His family takes him to obedience school where he learns to do all of the typical dog tricks. He still misbehaves. His family takes him back to dog school where he learns how to do a few chores around the house. For example, instead of eating bread, he bakes the bread. At the end, he is still not a perfect dog.

I really enjoyed this book. I believe that much of children's and students' misbehavior is due to a lack of understand or an ability to complete the skill. I thought this book was a subtle and cute way to start this conversation with a child. This book could be used in read around or an individual show more read. It could also be used as a way for students and children to talk about ways their behavior may be misunderstood. show less

I thought this was a very funny book! Toby is a bad dog, who has definite behavior problems, despite attempts at doggy school. Suddenly however, his behavior changes and he cleans the house and bakes bread! The reader knows however, that his silly behavior hasn't changed completely.