Good Boy, Fergus! by David Shannon

Bibliography
Shannon, David. 2006. Good Boy, Fergus! ill. David Shannon. New York: The Blue Sky Press.

Plot Summary
Good Boy, Fergus! is about a dog named Fergus who never seems to listen to his owner. He is always getting into some type of trouble. From chasing a cat, knocking over the plant, or begging at the dinner table, Fergus can't get it right. He is also not very good performing tricks but at the end of the day, his owner still thinks he is a good boy!

Critical Analysis
David Shannon does it again! He has created another hilarious character who can not stay out of trouble. However this time, the character is the fun loving dog named Fergus. From the time he gets up in the morning until he goes to bed at night, Fergus finds it nearly impossible to listen to his owner. He would rather chase cats and motorcycles, run away from bath time, and beg for food from the dinner table instead of coming inside when called or performing the correct trick for his owner. No matter how the day goes, the owner still thinks Fergus is a good boy!

The author also illustrated this story as many of his others. Bright colors are used throughout and the dog is always the center of the attention/page. Shannon's writing is simple which makes this story a great read aloud for any story time. As always, the print seems to be part of the illustrations. Combining the illustrations and writing, makes this a great addition to any collection (even if you are not a dog lover).

Reviews
Publisher's Weekly: "Fergus's expressions and poses will be both funny and familiar to dog lovers, and the predominantly close-up perspective offers an immediacy that makes readers feel included in every second of the tail-wagging action. Paws down, Fergus is one memorable pooch."

Kirkus Reviews: "Preschoolers will enjoy the large-format full of over-sized text and hysterical pictures of the disobedient dog who gets his way every time, right down to holding out for whipped cream on top of his dog food. Yes, Fergus! "