Book Spotlight: Bailey
The Children’s Book Review
Bailey
Written and Illustrated by Harry Bliss
Ages: 4-8 | 32 Pages
What to Expect: Dogs, Humor, and Back to School
Meet Bailey, a dog who surprises and charms his fellow human classmates with his irrepressible antics. Follow Bailey the dog as he gets ready and goes to school. Should he wear the red or blue collar? Both are so fashionable! Will he be late? That squirrel is a distraction! And what about Bailey’s homework? Would you believe he ate it? That is what dogs do, after all. In this funny book from the best-selling children’s illustrator Harry Bliss, school proves to be an unexpected place for Bailey to do all sorts of things he loves: reading, fetching, painting, digging, singing — and making friends!
It’s no ordinary school day when Bailey the dog is around. From choosing what to wear, to the school bus ride home, all of the school day staples are covered with hilarity. Using watercolor and ink, simple lines and curves give Harry Bliss’ character Bailey definition and persona—the bags under the eye in the opening illustration when Bailey is awoken by the early bird are priceless. Thought bubbles splatter the pages and add comedy to the crisp story-line—alas, it’s a truthful confession, the dog really did eat his own homework. Bailey by Harry Bliss is a great choice for a preschool or kindergarten back-to-school read, or even a mid-year read when the days need a little pick-me-up.
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About the Author-Illustrator
HARRY BLISS is a cartoonist and cover artist for The New Yorker magazine. His first book, A FINE, FINE SCHOOL by Newbery-award winning author, Sharon Creech, was a New York Times bestseller. He went on to illustrate many other books, including WHICH WOULD YOU RATHER BE, by William Steig; COUNTDOWN TO KINDERGARTEN by Alison McGhee, and DIARY OF A WORM by Doreen Cronin, a #1 New York Times bestseller as well as ADVENTURES OF A CHICKEN by Kate DiCamillo. Harry lives in South Burlington, Vermont.