Author: Lyn Rossiter McFarlandIllustrator: Jim McFarland
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2001
Genre: fiction
Themes: dogs, cats, tolerance, acceptance, emergencies
Age Level: 3 to 6
Grade Range: p to 1
Grade Range: p to 1
Opening: Widget was a little stray dog. He had no home. He had no friends.
Synopsis: A small stray dog is accepted into a household full of cats learning to “fit in,” but when his mistress is hurt, he demonstrates that being a dog is not all bad.
Why I like this book: Widget weaselled his way into my heart by doing his darndest to fit in with 6 cats. I had no choice but to fall in love!
Resource/Activity: Talking About 911 With Kids, Prepare for emergency situations
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julie rowan-zoch 
Oh how I’ve been pining for a dog! The last thing I need is a cute dog book.
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We are ‘sitting’ for the next 10 days, and that always reminds my family how much we love dogs, and how much we dislike picking up the poop!
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No kidding. I’ve been watching all the quail and bunnies on our backyard and remembering that they won’t come visit when we have a dog.
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Lucky! Post some Quail pics sometime!
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I am trying to get some (without scaring them)…
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🙂
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I used to live in a house with nine cats, this book would have been a great buy for the house owner 😉
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Crazy-C-L owner? lol
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I LOVE the name Widget, and I felt for him as soon as I realized he has to live with nine cats! Sounds like a winner!
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Actuall, it did get a few awards: IRA-CBC Children’s Choices, Booklinks Lasting Connection, Booklist Editors’ Choice, Alabama Children’s Choice Book Award
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Widget really is just a fun word to say, so I am sure this makes a great read-aloud! Thanks, Julie!
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I’m sure kids will get a kick out of Widget trying to act like a cat!
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We both chose dog books today! This sounds like a fun read. Love the dog’s name Widget.
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And both were about the dog helping someone in need!
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Widget looks so sweet and I would bet that some of the interactions between him and the cats would be very funny!
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You’re right!
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AWW. Widget is really cute. I want to know how Widget acts like a cat!
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Hope your library has it.
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I love that cover. We’re dog people, so we’ll have to check this one out.
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I didn’t ‘get’ the shadow at first!
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Another great book, Julie, that will help kids discover how important it is to “get along” with one another. The 911 activity is a great one…young kids need to be taught early how they can contact help in an emergency. We often read in the newspaper about how a very young child saved a parent’s life because he knew how to dial 911. 🙂
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Just realized it’s still pertinent to talk w/my teens about ’emergencies’. New to my 17 yr old situations are surfacing as she is house/dog sitting for friends. Nothing bad yet, but the ideas are cropping up!
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