Boodil My Dog
Boodil My Dog by Pija Lindenbaum tells the story of a child’s relationship with the family dog, Boodil, a bull terrier. The child describes Boodil as “brilliant,” “fierce, strong and brave,” with “nerves of steel.” The drawings in the story, however, paint a different picture, as Boodil is shown, among other things, moving very slowly, avoiding puddles, quivering under the couch, and crashing into the narrator’s baby brother.
The inconsistencies between the text and pictures raise many questions – including questions related to how we know what we know, the relationship between perception and truth, and whether we can understand other minds, including the minds of animals. And both the text and drawings are clever and funny. I’ve found that children love this book and it inspires interesting questions for them.
Ah, I remember this book! A wonderful book to read with children. Thanks for a great blog.