Good Boy, Fergus!

Good Boy, Fergus!

Written and Illustrated by David Shannon

Scholastic Inc., 2006

24 pages

Fiction

          I chose this book because I love any book by David Shannon. I had never heard of this book before, and just like his other books, Good Boy, Fergus! did not disappoint. Good Boy, Fergus! is a book that children and adults alike can relate to. Fergus is a very typical dog; he does not always listen when he is called, loves to chase cats and motorcycles, loves to be scratched in his tickle spot and does not like bath time. No matter what he does, his owner always thinks he is a good boy! If you are a lover of David Shannon’s books or need a good laugh, this book is for you! 

Shannon creates his illustrations using paint and pen. For the illustrations, Shannon uses bright primary colors to create a perfect expression of Fergus’ exciting personality. Shannon paints a picture of Fergus as a carefree and easily distracted dog, and his expressions match my own dog’s expressions when she is placed in the many situations that Fergus is in this book. Shannon makes you relate to Fergus’ owner when reading and seeing his illustrations.

Good Boy, Fergus! would make a great book to use in a Language Arts lesson to have students write about their pets or if they do not have a pet, a pet they wished they had. Art could be incorporated by having students illustrate their writing. This would also make a great character education lesson about forgiveness. Even though Fergus does not always listen to his owner, his owner still thinks he is a good boy. The same goes for people, people do not always listen to you and sometimes do things that hurt you, but you have to forgive them.This book did not receive any awards.