Friends of Montclair Library

New and emerging readers can now read to Natasha the dog every other Wednesday at the Montclair Library. Upcoming dates are May 28, June 11 and June 25.

Natasha is a certified BARK therapy dog who loves listening to kids read. Reading to dogs can help increase kids’ reading confidence, skill and enjoyment.

Of course there’s no shortage of books about dogs out there (485 in the Montclair library kids’ collection to be exact, according to the catalog), from picture book classics like Clifford the Big Red Dog and Harry the Dirty Dog to heart-tugging tales of
canine loyalty and bravery like Balto and Hachiko.

Here are a few of our favorite picture books about dogs working, playing and being dogs (descriptions are from the Encore catalog):

Doggone Dogs! by Karen Beaumont
Ten unruly dogs get loose at obedience school, and when they are captured by the dog-catcher, they work together to effect their escape and return home.

Please Take Me for a Walk by Susan Gal
A dog gives many good reasons it likes to go for a walk – to chase away the neighbor’s cat, to greet people on the street, to watch guys shooting hoops and to feel the wind lifting its ears.

Go, Dog. Go! by P. D. Eastman

I am the Dog by Daniel Pinkwater
Jacob trades places for the day with his dog Max and discovers the joys of chasing balls, eating kibble and getting scratched behind the ears.

The Night I Followed the Dog by Nina Laden
A boy follows his dog one night to see what exactly dogs do at night when they’re on their own.

Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann
The children at Napville Elementary School always ignore Officer Buckle’s safety tips, until a police dog named Gloria accompanies him when he gives his safety speeches.

A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka
A wordless picture book showing the fun a dog has with her ball, and what happens when it is lost.

Oh No, George! by Chris Haughton
George finds it hard to be a good dog when there are cats to chase, flowers to dig up, and a delicious cake sitting on the kitchen table.

Dogs by Emily Gravett
Big dogs, small dogs, stripy dogs, spotty dogs. There are so many different kinds of dogs. How can anyone pick one type of dog to love the most?

See Me Run by Paul Meisel
A dog has a fun-filled day at the dog park in this easy-to-read story.

Photo: Southworth Library via Flickr