Dog Man: Dog Man, Book 1

I want to start this off by saying that I am not a strict/clutch my pearls type of parent. I encourage silliness and imagination. I push my boys to get dirty and try new adventures and fail and make mistakes- but I cannot endorse this book. My 1st grader picked this up from the school book fair and I was ECSTATIC because he was so immersed in the book, was cracking up, and wanted to read it at all times of the day. My preschooler (who can also read) would be doing the same, and eventually the two of them would argue about who gets to read which book in the series. My mistake was assuming that some parents (and authors) don’t care what their kid is reading and what it is teaching them. One day I sat down to read with my preschooler and got really upset with myself that I was allowing them to read this. I got caught up in their excitement over reading and wanting to write their own stories about Dogman and I didn’t realize what the characters were doing or saying. After their behavior started changing because they were mimicking the characters, we sat them down and explained that they wouldn’t be able to read them again until they started acting better. We collected the books into a box and put them on top of the refrigerator where they have stayed for over a year. They’ve asked about them every once in a while, but regardless of their improved behavior, I’d rather they learn this behavior on the school bus and not in my living room. ETA: I’ve noticed that some of the 5star ratings are from parents who are insulting or attacking writers of the negative reviews. Just something to take note of.

These books seem to use really poor English. I do not want my child sounding like someone that learnt English via Twitter. We are going to stay away from these books. As far as entertainment value goes--surely, you can find books with proper English that provide entertainment value. We are not stuck on a remote island with a load of Dog Man books.