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Summary
Summary
Arf! Arf! Arf!
Bird, squirrels, the mailman--Emerson can't help but bark his loudest when he gets excited. But when his bark scares one of his neighborhood friends into hiding, Emerson's girl Eva must forbid him from barking altogether. Can Emerson adjust to a life in silence? Or will he find a way to put his powerful bark to good use?
Liza Woodruff's Emerson Barks is a charming dog story that shows how good intentions can triumph over mistakes.
Author Notes
Liza Woodruff is the illustrator of over twenty books for young readers, including If It's Snowy and You Know It, Clap Your Paws by Kim Norman and The Biggest Pumpkin Ever by Elizabeth Bennett. She lives in an old farmhouse in Vermont with her family and their two dogs. Emerson Barks is the first book that she has both written and illustrated.
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-Emerson is a little dog with a big bark. When his loud sounds scare the neighbor cat Kissy into hiding, crotchety Miss Cross has words with his girl Eva. In a hasty decision, Eva bans the pup from barking altogether. The shaggy-eared mutt tries his best to comply with the drastic orders. When he spies a squirrel, he coughs a tepid "AR-ahem," and when the mailman arrives, he gulps in another bark. After swallowing his loud voice and feeling miserable, Emerson embraces his booming barks and saves the day. Woodruff's digitally created illustrations have funny details like a "Woof" welcome mat and rubber chicken chew toys. VERDICT Emerson's enthusiasm and good intentions will have readers rooting for him. A fun read-aloud for storytimes and small group sharing.-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
"Life was great for Emerson," writes Woodruff (If It's Snowy and You Know it, Clap Your Paws!) of her pert terrier protagonist. Well, except for one thing: Emerson's bark punches way, way above its weight. When that bark drives away a neighbor's cat and gets his own owner, Eva, in trouble, Emerson doesn't need to be sent to an actual doghouse to feel miserable. Thanks to Woodruff's crisp, unfussy cartooning, most readers will feel a gut punch, too-they know how hard it is to practice impulse control, especially when the disappointment of a loved one is at stake. The ending, however, takes the easy way out and dilutes this moment of recognition and reflection. Emerson makes amends by finding the missing cat (who actually had other motives for running off), uses his bark to alert the neighborhood, and "things quickly returned to normal in the neighborhood." But the rewards of restraint and self-discipline aren't always so clear-cut and celebrated, and there isn't any real sense that Emerson has come away from the experience a wiser (or quieter) dog. Ages 4-8. Agent: Lori Kilkelly, Rodeen Literary Management. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.