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Summary
Summary
A sweet dog-loves-kid/kid-loves-dog story, in which the kid uses a wheelchair, from an award-winning children's poet and talented debut illustrator.
This playful puppy thinks she's having the best day ever! She's so happy to be out with her friend, she doesn't even realize that she's being a little naughty. But then he scolds her, and suddenly--Worst. Day. Ever. Will puppy be able to make amends and turn their day back around?
Join an exuberant, boundary-pushing pup and her exasperated boy in this reassuring story about unconditional love and the challenges of trying to always be on your best behavior.
Author Notes
Marilyn Singer was born in the Bronx, New York, on October 3, 1948, and lived most of her early life in North Massapequa on Long Island. She attended Queens College, City University of New York as an English major and education student, and for her junior year, attended Reading University, in England. She holds a bachelor's degree in English from Queens and a MA in Communications from New York University. Marilyn Singer had been teaching English in New York City high schools for several years when she began writing in 1974. Initially, she wrote film notes, catalogues, teacher's guides and filmstrips. She also began looking into magazine writing. Her article proposals were not very successful, but she did manage to have some of her poetry published. Then one day she penned a story featuring talking insects she'd made up when she was eight. Encouraged by the responses she got, she wrote more stories and in 1976 her first book, The Dog Who Insisted He Wasn't, was published.
Since then, Marilyn has published more than 50 books for children and young adults. In addition to a rich collection of fiction picture books, Singer has also produced a wide variety of nonfiction works for young readers as well as several poetry volumes in picture book format. Additionally, Singer has edited volumes of short stories for young adult readers, including Stay True: Short Stories for Strong Girls and I Believe in Water: Twelve Brushes with Religion.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (2)
Kirkus Review
An energetic puppy narrates a day with her boy. In the morning, she licks the face of her "best friend," a boy with light brown skin who uses a manual wheelchair, "glad that [they're] a pair." In quick, rhythmic rhymes, she bounds along--chasing a cat, stealing a Frisbee, snatching a hot dog from disgruntled pigeons, and scaring a snake--to the titular refrain: "Best day ever!" But the tune changes when she rolls on a "nice dead fish." "Down, girl! You get off me! / Phewy, what's that smell?" yells her boy as she gazes up with heart-meltingly mournful eyes. "Not the best day ever," she laments as she endures a sudsy bath. And when she accidentally knocks over a lamp, her boy's exasperation is finally too much: "Worst day ever." Soon, however, the boy comforts the dejected pup, apologizing for shouting: "I know it wasn't cool. / I think we need more lessons. / We'll go to training school." The friendship restored, a huge, jubilant "Best day ever!" arcs across a sunset-tinged double-page spread, the exclamation point finished off with a tennis ball the narrator has leapt to catch. Illustrator Nixon, herself a wheelchair user, captures the bond between boy and dog with bold lines, bright, sun-laced colors, and endearing expressions, tenderly demonstrating that love is unconditional--a message that will reassure readers as well as their furry friends. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 56.3% of actual size.) An exuberant dog's-eye view of friendship and forgiveness. (Picture book. 4-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
In this winning boy-dog friendship story, a small dog, whose boy uses a wheelchair, narrates her own adventures on a day that might look ordinary to us and to her boy but that, for the dog, is filled with the highest highs and lowest lows. The dog speaks in short, rhyming bursts, a nice equivalent to barking. She wakes up, licks her boy's face as the boy moves from bed to wheelchair, hands him a dropped sock, and then they're off on a day that includes going to the park and watching in horror as the dog chases a snake into the lake. For the dog, this is part of her refrain: "Best day ever!" But things go south after the dog rolls around on a dead fish and the boy reacts poorly to her smell, and again when the dog knocks over a lamp after a much-needed bath. It's then the "worst day ever," until the boy's forgiveness sets things right. Nixon's illustrations reflect the dog's changing moods and include loads of comic detail. A fun romp.