I went to my school's library today and was in for a shock! Only about 10 Cynthia Rylant books were there. I hope that just means that she is popular with the kids and not that we only have 10 Cynthia Rylant books!
Immediately upon starting The Great Gracie Chase... I thought of my own dogs. I chuckled throughout because my dogs are much like Gracie. Like Gracie, Kylie (one of my dogs) likes nothing better than to lay around the quiet house all day. She also hates for people to come near our house. I'm sure the mailman loves putting mail in our slot each day-- she barks and barks. When Gracie started to run, I thought of my other dog, Niko. He LOVES to get out, and there is no catching him. Like the characters in this story we have to give up before we get him. There is just no use trying. Also like Gracie, he comes home in his due time. Obviously, I had close personal connections to The Great Gracie Chase.
This book by Cynthia Rylant is a light-hearted story that any dog lover can enjoy. The story is told from Gracie's perspective. She's a good dog who decided to go for a walk and then made a huge chase. Using the dog's perspective gives people who may have been on the other end of a similar situation (namely, chasing their own dog) a different point of view.
Mark Teague's illustrations also provide enjoyment for the reader because the pictures give you a great visual. Throughout the story, Gracie is the center of attention, but in the background of each full bleed illustration, you see the people attempting to chase her. They meet with accidents and are put in precarious positions because of Gracie. The illustrations bring the viewer into the action and everything seems off kilter-- the perspective of the illustrations changes constantly. Sometimes the viewer is looking from above, sometimes from below, sometimes from in front. Additionally, all the buildings and trees are crooked, like you might see them while running.
This would be an enjoyable read aloud for young or older students because who hasn't been a part of a great dog chase?
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I have been involved in a dog chase, but only when I dog sit. I always get really frustrated because I don't know how to catch those little tricksters. I have never had a dog of my own, so I don't know what it is like to try to chase a dog every day. I also haven't read this book, although I think I probably should before I agree to dog sit again. I know that this is a very popular book by Cynthia Rylant. It is very cool how you made connections to your own dogs because I know that children would do the same. I can hear the kids shouting out stories about their dogs while using this story as a read aloud. (I can even hear one of the students I had in my student teaching classroom making connections to chasing her pet chickens!)
After I read your review, I ran into my school's library and checked out this book. As a dog owner and lover, I adored it. I think my favorite book that she has written with dogs in it is Dog Heaven. A few years ago when my daughter was 6, we had gotten her a puppy for Christmas. After about 10 days, it became apparent the puppy was very ill. The vet thought that it had rabies. Needless to say the whole experience was very traumatic for all of us. The librarian at my school gave me a copy of Dog Heaven for my daughter. It was a source of great comfort and is beautifully written. In fact, my daughter still pulls it out today when she feels sad thinking about lost pets.
Check it out:)
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