Susan Stevens Crummel

Merl the cat has a perfect home until the arrival of a puppy.

My Big Dog

Sarah Sammis

Harriet picked My Big Dog by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel on a recent trip to the library. She initially chose it for the cute Golden Retriever face on the cover but ended up loving it because it's the story of a cat who doesn't want to learn how to live with a dog.

As soon as we cracked the book open and saw that the narrator was a cat talking about he does not want to share his home with a dog, we were in love. We were also reminded of another favorite, Alice: the Cat Who Was Hounded by Jules Rosenthal. Both are stories of house cats content in their lives and having everything turned upside down by the introduction of a new dog. Another great example of cats and dogs learning to live together (or not) is Poor Puppy by Nick Bruel.

What sets My Big Dog apart is the point of view. The others are told from a human perspective. This one though is told from the cat's point of view. Another difference is that the cat and the dog become friends on their own. There is no human intervention as there is in Alice nor is the rivalry allowed to continue as it does in the Bad Kitty books.

If you have cats and dogs in your life, My Big Dog is a great book to read.

My Big Dog

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