Alexandra Day

That baby-sitting Rottweiler, Carl, returns in this second mostly wordless picture-book from artist Alexandra Day, as Mother once again leaves her baby in her dog's care, while she runs off to another part of the store where they are shopping. Dog and infant immediately embark on an adventurous tour of said store, exploring the various departments, and having lots of fun - playing with the toys in the toy department, sampling the treats in the fine foods department - before returning to the show more spot where Mother left them.

Just as charming as the first Carl adventure, Good Dog, Carl, this entry in the series had a number of humorous details that I appreciated - I found the title of the book that Carl and the baby "read" together, Rottweilers I Have Known, particularly droll - and the lovely artwork I have come to associate with these books. It's amusing to note that some reviewers seem very put off by the concept of a baby being left in the charge of a Rottweiler, as I think this is really just a sweet fantasy, and not intended as a realistic depiction of parenting or dog companionship. show less

In this first of a series of wordless picture-book devoted to the adventures of a baby-sitting Rottweiler (don't try this at home, parents!), Mother instructs Carl to 'look after the baby," and goes out. Naturally, a dog and infant have better things to do than nap, so baby crawls out of its crib, and Carl oversees its messy (and rather chaotic) playtime, before shepherding his charge back to bed...

I found this little book charming, and am glad I finally gave this series, and its creator, a show more chance! Of course I've long been familiar with the Carl books, but it was only when I read some glowing reviews by a friend (thanks, Gundula!), that I finally tracked one down, and really looked at it. The artwork, done in egg tempera, is just lovely, Carl is a winsome characters, and the story is amusing. One hopes, of course, that no one is actually using a Rottweiler as a baby-sitter, but as a fun fantasy, this tale works! show less

It's Carl's birthday and Madeleine's mother wants to give the family Rottweiler a surprise birthday party. Madeleine and Carl are sent to a neighbour's house, but instead of taking a nap, the curious, mischievous twosome sneak back into their house, checking out the presents, sampling the cake and so on. Again, almost wordless, with brilliant, bright illustrations, this would be an entertaining story to share with a child, especially a child who has the tendency to be curious about his/her show more birthday party and wrapped birthday and/or Christmas gifts. However, the adult in me rather feels sorry for the mother and that her efforts to create a surprise birthday party for Carl are somewhat diminished by Carl and Madeleine's curiosity.

Although I did not enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed Carl's Snowy Afternoon and Carl's Summer Vacation, I decided to again assign five stars, mostly because some of the illustrations are truly priceless and again left me with fond and nostalgic memories of our own Rottweilers. The absolutely hilarious illustration of Carl trying on his new yellow rain-poncho had me laughing and reminded me of the expression in our own Rottweiler's eyes the one time my mother tried to get him to wear a doggie-sweater. His expression seemed to say (just like Carl's expression seems to say), "You really want me to wear THAT?" But for me, the most special, the most nostalgic illustration is the final illustration of Carl, draped over the mother's lap. This really had me reminiscing, remembering how our Rottweilers used to drape themselves over my mother's lap. It was their greatest joy, especially on the weekend, when my mother actually let them stay on her lap for extended periods of time. show less

I read this book with my son a million times. We had a big black dog who was an equal partner in child-rearing. Actually, she may have thought she was slightly more responsible than the humans. And she maybe was right. Many of my son's earliest memories involve Inky standing between him and danger. So we loved Carl, of course.

This fantastical little book tells (mostly without words) the story of the best babysitter ever- Carl the Rottweiler. Baby's parents go out on the town and leave Carl show more in charge. Delightful adventures ensue. So much fun for little kids, and a delicious fantasy for parents. show less