“It’s hard to sit. / It’s hard to stay. / Who makes these rules up, anyway?” (from “Sit and Stay”) Twenty-eight poems about dogs (and one cat who can’t resist inserting itself at volume’s end) delight in this tail-wagging picture book. Aspects of life with a dog, or being a dog, are chronicled in poems that are playful and occasionally bittersweet. The rhyme pattern, rhythm, and style across the poems vary but the good fun is sustained throughout. Spot illustrations showcase a range of slightly comic canine companions in this appealing volume.

Equal parts heart-melting and stinky, The Smell of Wet Dog is a must-have illustrated poetry book for every young canine fan.

The smell of wet dog is not a good smell.
When a dog is wet it’s easy to tell.
Imagine moose and skunk perfume.
An odiferous stench, a paint-peeling plume.

Beloved author and illustrator Barney Saltzberg offers up twenty-seven poems on the evergreen topic of human’s best friend. Many have all the humor of a Shel Silverstein classic. Others are unexpectedly poignant, about separation anxiety or older dogs growing less spry. All are accompanied by Saltzberg’s lively and loveable artwork.

Whether you are a dog lover, love a dog lover, or are simply dog-curious, The Smell of Wet Dog is for someone in your life. One thing’s for sure: You’ll leave this book inspired to write an ode to a furry friend of your own!

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Winner of the Bank Street Children's Book Committee Claudia Lewis Award for Younger Poetry