Hot Dog Review
Salati, D. (2022). Hot Dog. Knopf Books for Young Readers. ISBN:9780593308455
Plot Summary
The “hot dog” is at the end of his leash with the heat, noise, and crowds. His owner takes him to someplace new where he can calm down. At the island beach, he plays in the waves and collects rocks for his owner. He chooses a prized rock which he carries proudly in his mouth. In the evening they return to the city where it has cooled down to blues and greens and the intensity of the day is forgotten. Upon returning home he eats dinner and then settles down to dream about swimming with seals all while his favorite rock is resting beside him.
Critical Analysis
Doug Salati as an author uses a simple free verse on each page simply because numerous words are unnecessary. Children understand how the dog has had enough and is overwhelmed by people, noises, and the heat. When they arrive at the island, even fewer words are used as some pages don’t even have words but the story continues through illustrations. This book engages readers in a way where they can feel the emotion escalate and then relax. All ages will enjoy this book about empathy and emotions.
As an illustrator, Doug Salati uses pencil and gauche for the illustrations. His attention to detail is impeccable and sets the mood on each page. Dramatic orange and intense rays from the sun depict how hot and miserable the dog and people are in the city. The colors take on more calm colors of blues and wavy lines to show the relaxation at the beach. The wordless pages show the enjoyment of the dog running free, swimming in the waves at the shore, and digging and collecting rocks for his owner. Page after page is filled with such attention to detail that sets the mood that each time you read, your eye catches notice of something else.
Professional Review
Horn Book Magazine (November/December, 2022)
It's a hot time in the city. A small, low-slung pup greets the morning from the window of a narrow NYC brownstone. But as the dog's day unfolds, it all becomes too much. "City summer / steamy sidewalks... / crowds close in... / too loud / too close / too much!" Fortunately, the dog's devoted owner understands. She breaks off her round of errands mid-crosswalk, picks up her dog, and takes a taxi, then a train, and finally a ferry to an island, "wild and long and low," where the pair enjoys an idyllic beach day. The dog runs and runs, chases waves, delivers shells and stones to its owner, digs holes; the woman relaxes under an umbrella. Restored, they return to the city in the evening, now able to cherish its many pleasures -- skateboarders in the park, street pretzels, a fruit stand. "What a day for a dog!" Minimal, impressionistic free-verse text beautifully sets scenes and conveys character and emotion, expertly matched by the illustrations. Claustrophobic vertical panels, angular lines, and hot oranges, reds, and yellows (of the city) give way to expansive, sometimes full-spread horizontal panels and cool blues and greens (of the island escape). In the end, back home in the woman's small walk-up apartment, our doggo settles down for the night, "ready to leap / into a deep / ocean/sleep." Entirely delightful; a breath of fresh air from start to finish. Martha V. Parravano November/December 2022 p.72
Connections
Students will sometimes identify with the hot dog feeling overwhelmed. This is an excellent book to use for social-emotional lessons and empathy. The picture above is an activity I found on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Similar books:
Bank, Molly. When Sophie Gets Angry. ISBN 978-0-590-18979-8
Pilkey, Dav. The Halloweiner. ISBN 0545661366
Keats, Ezra Jack. Whistle for Willie. ISBN 0-14-050202-5
Compare the illustrations in this book to other books illustrated by Doug Salati; Lawrence in the Fall and Pip and Zip.
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