Open Me...I'm a Dog is a wonderful book to read-aloud to children. The illustrations are bold and vivid. The size of the book also contributes to the illusion that the reader is holding a "small dog" in their hands. The dog's tale of how he came to find himself in the predicament that he is in, would delight and spur today's child's imagination to soar.

If children enjoy Open Me...I"m a Dog! they will find Mysterious Thelonious by Chris Raschka, Raising Dragons by Jerdine Nolen and i see the rhythm by Toyomi Igus equally entertaining.


Portable Canine for All Ages   March 21, 1998
 7 out of 7 found this review helpful

Undoubtedly it will be adults -- parents, aunts, uncles, friends -- who are drawn to "Open Me, I'm a Dog." Art Spiegelman's name (as the Pulitzer-prize winning creator of MAUS), the highly-conceptual nature of the book and the art itself appeal to an adult's sense of what is "cool" for children. Good-intentioned aunts and uncles will fawn over this book, while parents lacking imagination will believe it isn't really intended for children. And that, unfortunately, is where they'll be wrong. Because "Open Me, I'm a Dog" is an ideal, silly book for a 4- or 5-year-old child. Kids' imaginations are easily fueled at this stage; they just know that inanimate objects have lives of their own; they're sure that there's a side of life that adults just can't understand; they understand that a book should be petted and loved just as often as a lovable canine. So, why couldn't a curse have turned a dog into a book? It can, of course, in this delightfully simple but mischievous romp. A pop-up wagging tale , a hidden bull frog (the size of a bull, no less) and a leash for the book, er, I mean, DOG, complete the package. This small, portable book (there I go again - I meant to say DOG) would make an ideal gift for someone who is 4, 14 or 40.


Transformation   March 20, 1998
Utterly gorgeous way to mess with your niece or nephew's head. I particularly loved the attached leash and the fuzzy orange endpapers. The magician Spiegelman, who turned German Jews into mice and Nazis into cats, has done it again.


Adorable and witty....Almost impossible to put down!   March 20, 1998
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Really a one of a kind, 'come to life book'. The author really outdid himself this time in "Open Me, I'm a Dog". When I opened it for the first time at a book store, I couldn't believe what I read--a dog had somehow been transformed into the book that I held in my hands! Although this was no ordinary dog, he still felt just the same and could do (almost) the same things a normal dog could do (No other dog I know listens to me when I say "Sit...Stay" as much as this one did!). Like all dogs, this dog doesn't like to be alone, so I brought it home with me to show two of the kids that I babysit for. I told them "Guess what...I brought a dog home today". Anxiously, they looked around and the oldest one, who's 7, said "No, where is it?" and I pointed to the bag that held the book. We ended up reading that book over and over and over again, and they treat it like it's almost a real dog! (Or is it?) I highly recommend this book. It's like having a real dog around...only cheaper to care for.