Bad Dog

By Mike Boldt

A young child gets a pet dog for their birthday and learns to appreciate its unique personality.

4.2/5 Goodreads · 1,325 ratings

40 pages· 257 words· Est. 2 min read-aloud

$18.99Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

A little girl receives a cat for her birthday, convinced it's a dog. Rocky, the 'dog,' doesn't fetch or bark, preferring sunny naps and toe-licking. Is Rocky a bad dog or just a cat? Discover the comedic clash of expectations and reality in this delightful tale of mistaken identity.

From the publisher

The differences between cats and dogs have never been funnier! In this hilarious new story from the illustrator of I Don’t Want to Be a Frog, a little girl really, really wants a dog . . . but gets a cat instead!

“Look what I got for my birthday! A pet dog!” says a little girl holding a . . . cat? Rocky doesn’t listen or obey like all the other dogs. (Because Rocky is a cat.) And Rocky hates her leash and doesn’t seem to like other dogs. (Probably because Rocky is a cat.) And rather than play fetch, Rocky prefers to . . . lick between her toes? Ew. Rocky is a bad “dog”! BUT Rocky doesn’t bark, and is so cute when she sleeps in sunny spots. Maybe Rocky IS a good dog? (Or, you know, maybe Rocky is a cat.)

Cat lovers and dog lovers alike will howl with laughter at this little girl’s willful insistence that her cat is a dog. The hilarious ways in which cats and dogs are different are brilliantly illuminated with each turn of the page and will leave young readers and their grown-ups giggling.

At a glance