Book Review - SKIPPYJON JONES IN THE DOG-HOUSE

 Skippyjon Jones in the Dog-House by Judith Schachner
Ages: Pre-K-3rd Grade

I swore I was going to review a book every day this week. I didn't. Fail. I have no excuse, except for an incessant need to craft this week.  But, I'm here now and I've got a doozy for ya.

If you've never read a Skippyjon Jones book, you must. Here's why: you'll either love it or hate it. There's no in-between. We've read three of the five Skippyjon Jones adventures. The little librarians and I happen to love them. The hubby, well, he's on the opposite end of the spectrum. Let me review the book, then I'll explain why.

In Skippyjon Jones in the Dog-House the little Siamese cat sets off on another one of his wacky adventures. Skippy, as stated, is a cat but would much prefer to be a Chihuahua. This time around, Skippy finds himself in his room for a time-out after drawing all over his walls. When his imagination runs wild and he ends up in front of a house, where his Chihuahua friends are hiding from a Bad Bobble-ito who has staked claim on their doghouse. The perritos are counting on Skippy to save the day... and, of course he does so in the unlikeliest of ways, which is in true Skippyjon Jones fashion.

All the Skippyjon Jones books are humorous, rhythmic and ultra-imaginative. When Skippy joins his Chihuahua friends he develops a Spanish accent, and often uses Spanish words. As a matter of fact, last Taco Tuesday (a weekly tradition in our house) the Little Lady Librarian asked me for frijoles as opposed to beans. She told me Skippy taught her that word. Not Mommy. Skippy. She was sure to point out that I don't know how to speak Spanish. Don't you just love it when your children are old enough to start pointing out your faults. Anywho, your kids will definitely pick up some Spanish vocab from this and all the SJJ books.

Here's what the hubster doesn't like about the books, while they're ultra-imaginative they're kinda all over the place. The plot is so unusual that some may consider it hard to follow. He also HATES the "made-up" Spanish words. Throughout the book, Skippy and his Chihuahua friends add "ito" to the end of many words, which drives my husband crazy. He honestly dreads when it's his turn to put the LLL to bed and she chooses a Skippyjon Jones book for her bedtime story.

Another thing to consider, if you're looking for a book with a good moral. Keep looking. Skippy's escapades tend to begin after he's gotten in trouble for something. He's pretty disobedient to his mother, and never actually shows any remorse for his actions. As a matter of fact, he tends to wiggle his way out of trouble completely. As I perused reviews online for this book, one reviewer stated she thought Skippy was a horrible example for children. Stating that rather than helping his mother clean up his wall "art" he was sent to his room where he essentially played. Then, in the end, he's let out of time-out without any additional consequences. To be honest, I think this is a little extreme. I don't expect all my childrens' books to teach them some big important lesson, that's not to say I'm not a sucker for the books that do, but sometimes we read a book just because it's entertaining. That's all. And that's what you'll find in this book. Entertainment. I guess, you could have a discussion about using your imagination, or even to teach your kids not to draw on the wall... I dunno.

Like I said, if you just want a fun, silly read with your kids then Skippyjon Jones in the Dog-House is a great read. And be sure to take the time to look over the illustrations on each page, they're colorful and fully of silly little details. The Little Lady Librarian especially loves the green chihuahua with pink flowers and the teeny-tiny pink doggie (I'll give you one guess as to her favorite color... starts with a p and ends with ink).

I just checked out the Skippyjon Jones website (so fun) and learned there's a brand new book out, Skippyjon Jones Lost in Spice. We'll be adding that to our library list this week!