Blurb: Alfie, Tubby, Ollie, and Raxl have created a band—Dog Band! But what kind of music should Dog Band play? Their assortment of animal friends help them figure it out.
Illustrations by Wei Lu.
To be re-published by Pandamonium Publishing House.
Dog Band
CA$14.99
Alfie, Tubby, Ollie, and Raxl have created a band - Dog Band! Alfie is the lead singer and guitar player, Tubby plays bass, Ollie plays the drums, and Raxl is the back-up singer and can play many instruments.
But there is one problem - They don't know what kind of music Dog Band should play!
So they enlist their assortment of animal friends (from dogs to frogs!) to help them figure it out.
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Check out the reviews:
2021 Semi-Finalist for the Indies Today Awards Contest
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great kids book for animal and music lovers!
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2021
We loved this creative book by Regan W. H. Macaulay. The illustrations by Wei Lu are fun, colorful, and great for young kids. In our family we are huge animal lovers and we play all types of music, so this book was perfect for us.
Alfie wants to start a band with his friends but they're not sure which genre of music they should play. They ask all their animal friends for advice - so we are introduced to different types of animals, as well as various genres of music. The characters are interesting, the story is engaging, and our daughter loved the fact that she knew some of the music genres (and was eager to learn more about the ones she didn't). This will become one of our go-to gifts for our friends with kids.
- Kelsey
5.0 out of 5 stars Great for the kiddos
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2021
My 9 year old read it to my 4 year old. It was easy to reading and follow along with. It really helped to have the annunciation of some of the dog breeds. The kids loved the colors and were surprised and excited to see the characters were based off of real animals.
This is a great read for little ones. It was just long enough for bedtime.
- I. E. Michaels
5 STARS! Reviewed by Sheri Hoyte for Reader Views Kids (10/2021)
“Dog Band” by Regan W.H. Macaulay is a melodious introduction to the world of music for young readers.
Alfie is a Maltipoo who knows what he wants. As a guitar player and singer, his greatest dream is to have his own band. Alfie forms that band with his best friends: Raxl the Chihuahua, Tubby the Morkie, and Ollie the Coton de Tulear. Each friend has a special talent uniquely suited for the band, but there’s one big issue they need to resolve before they start band practice—what kind of music shall they play?
When the band asks their friends for suggestions, they discover a vast array of different styles and types of music. From Country to Opera to Rock ‘n Roll to Classical music, the band learns their options are just about limitless. It’s a fantastic launch into the world of music for little ones and full of noteworthy tidbits for adults. I even learned the difference between ‘Rock’ and ‘Rock and Roll!’ Who knew?
The ending might surprise readers as they scurry to figure out just what type of music the Dog Band will play. I wasn’t expecting the way it wraps up, but it leaves the door open for young musical enthusiasts to form their own opinion about what type of music they might like to play if they were to form their own band!
“Dog Band” is an adorable story that will appeal to dog and music lovers young and not so young. Elements of working together to make informative decisions, teamwork, inclusivity and cooperation make “Dog Band” so much more than merely an entertaining story. Precious illustrations infuse each page, creating a colorful backdrop for the narrative. As a music and dog lover, Macaulay incorporates the best of both worlds into an entertaining, informative and creative story.
From CM: Canadian Review of Materials:
Excerpt:
There once was a dog named Alfie. He was a Maltipoo, a guitar player, and a singer. For a small dog, Alfie had a big dream. He wanted to have his own band and to play great music.
Alfie decided to ask his best friends to play in his band. He asked Raxl, the Chihuahua, (Chee-WAH-WAH), Tubby the Morkie, and Ollie, a fancy French dog called a Coton du Tulear, (Caught-ON-de-TOO-LEAR). Raxl played keyboard, rhythm guitar, saxophone, and the tambourine. She also liked to sing. Tubby played bass guitar. He sang too. Ollie played the drums and all sorts of percussion instruments, including the bongo and bones.
Alfie and his friends called themselves, Dog Band. Now they just had to figure out what kind of band to be and what kind of music to pay.
“Why don’t we ask our friends for suggestions?” said Raxl.
Alfie and his friends set off to ask various friends about the kind of music the dog band should play. Each of the friends is identified by name and breed of dog or type of animal. In addition to readers learning about a host of dog breeds, including Shih Tzu, Shar Pei, Bambino Shetland Sheepdog, and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, other animals are named. A turtle, an iguana, a bunny, a finch, a hamster, a guinea pig, a toad, a White Tree Frog, a cockatoo, a miniature horse, a newt, a better fish, a blue-point Siamese cat, and a seal-point Siamese cross are all asked about the kind of music the band should play.
Alfie and his friends get many suggestions from their friends. These include rock, jazz, hip hop, folk music, reggae, opera, swing, rock and roll, the blues, country music, musical theatre, and classical music.
At the end of the journey, Mr. Frodo, the Siamese cat, gave Alfie his best advice by saying, “You must choose what feels right for you.”
The full page, colour illustrations are in cartoon format. They are drawn to show the characteristics of the animal and the instruments they depict.
Dog Band is dense with information about animal names, with pronunciations included, and genres of music, with a description of each type of music and the instruments usually associated with that genre. The text is rich with musical vocabulary, such as, “lick on his guitar”, “ditty on a saxophone”, “key with a trill”, and “bluesy riff on the harmonica.”
Children will enjoy reading Dog Band or having it read to them. The illustrations and the text will encourage many questions from the reader as the topics are dealt with briefly and each topic could be explored much further. This book could be used to introduce music concepts and also for unit of study about animals, including pets.
Highly Recommended (4 stars out of 5)
BookView Review: Dog Band by Regan W. H. Macaulay (Author), Wei Lu (Illustrator)
(5 stars!) Bright and fun, Macaulay’s latest features an unlikely group of adorable friends trying to form their own music band. Alfie, a small Maltipoo, is good at playing guitar and singing. He dreams about having his own music band. Tunny, Ollie, and Raxl, Alfie’s best friends, leap up the idea, and Dog Band, the new musical band in the town, comes into existence. But there is one problem: the group has no idea what kind of music to play. They ask everyone—from dogs to frogs, but everybody has their own idea about the type of music the band should play. What will the band decide? Macaulay cleverly incorporates music-related words in the narrative, skillfully teaching young children about a vast array of musical instruments, kinds of music popular across the globe, and names of different dog and cat breeds. Wei Lu’s exuberant, delightful illustrations romp across the pages, detailing story elements through apt emotions. This fun tale, with its significant message about making one’s own choices will encourage readers to try their hands at various musical instruments while making them laugh. With its fun storyline and a wealth of visual treats, the book should make it to every young music lover’s bookshelf.
‘A sweetly illustrated book looking at lots of different sorts of music and musical terms.’ (4 stars)
This is a very sweet little book for 6 to 8 year olds. Colorfully illustrated and packed full of delightful animal characters, this is a fun way of introducing young children to all the different sorts of music. The story follows a group of dogs who want to start up a dog band. The problem is, they don't know which sort of music to play. So they decide lots of animal pals what they think. They ask Taco the cat, Leroy the iguana and a host of other animals, who not surprisingly - think differently. to ask Bambino all - This book is a fun way of introducing musical words to children. Words such as ‘lyrics’, ‘twang’, ‘jazz’ and ‘orchestra’. The children will get to see clarinets, trumpets and a cool-looking frog with sunglasses and a harmonica! It’s important to note that there are a few topics within this book that most children will find difficult to understand. For example, poodle skirts and cars with fins. But, with a little help from adults - and possibly Google - it could be fun to investigate the topics further. All in all, I think most children with an interest in music will find this book fun ... in terms of being an introduction to musical instruments, musical terms and musical turns of phrase, this could be a classroom gem. And, of course, the children will have fun trying to guess which style of music the dog band end up playing. Enjoy!
-- A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review www.thewsa.co.uk
5.0 out of 5 stars Can't wait to share this certain classic with my grandchildren.
Reviewed in Canada on March 23, 2021
Book Review:
The Dog Band, written by Regan W. H. Macaulay, illustrated by Wei Lu.
Immediately charmed by the quintessential opening line: "There once was a dog named Alfie", I was already smiling as the first dog musicians were introduced. "Alfie had a big dream ... to have his own band." Alfie gathers some musician friends, but what sort of music shall they play? Together they set about exploring musical genres, their styles and characteristics. Along the way we are introduced to a community of pets, their breeds and their musical inclinations.
A children's book comes to life through its illustrations. I was enchanted by the blotter paper prints and the old-fashioned drawings, like books from my long-ago childhood. The animals are anthropomorphized, of course! Their faces and outfits are suitable to the music they love. More instruments are brought forward at each turn of the page.
Ollie, the percussionist, plays drums ... and bones - naturally: he's a dog! I hadn't heard of musical bones so I googled them: a musician named Dom Flemons shows how to play them in a Youtube video!
The personalities of Alfie's friends are tangible as they describe their favorite music. I was compelled to re-read the book just to meet the animals again. Charlie, the Shih Tzu, "(Sheet-zoo)" is into rock and his friend Caesar "cranked up the amplifier" when he began to play his electric guitar! Waldo , a Shar Pei, looking very cool, says of jazz music: "... don't forget the sync-O-pa-TION! ... he played a ditty on a saxophone emphasizing EVERY other BEAT." The more uncommon breed names and musical terms throughout the book are shown with pronunciation.
Strider and Snow, (great dog-names!) are into folk music. Strider has an accounstic guitar, "wooden, warm-sounding and did not plug in." Hermione, the hamster, likes rock and roll: she wears a 50's style poodle-skirt! Of course, the toad and frog are into the blues, with their croaky voices. "We dig the Blues, man!" says Sidney the frog.
The Dog Band has repetitive scenes which play through the list of friends and their favorite kind of music, introducing dog and pet breeds as it opens up the world of music. The animal companions will delight little ones and the creatures' lessons and instruments will challenge their music awareness. Even as a longtime music-maker, I learned some new things about genres!
This will be a frequent go-to from the bookshelf, with its cast of likeable friends of Alfie, the dog who wanted to start "The Dog Band”!
Cheryl C. Malandrinos
5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful and Creative
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2021
This is such a cute story. Between the fun text by Macaulay and the colorful illustrations by Wei Lu, this book is destined to entertain youngsters.
There is so much to enjoy about Dog Band. The band receives a variety of answers with great reasoning behind their friends’ choices. The author includes some pronunciations for readers as well, so they understand how to say different breed names.
Children who like reading stories about animals, children who have a love for music, and those who appreciate fun stories will want to read Dog Band.
I received a digital copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.
Amazon Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Charming Tale about Dreaming Big
Reviewed in Canada on March 30, 2021
Dog Band by Regan W. H. Macaulay is a beautifully illustrated, charming story about a small guitar-playing, Maltipoo dog named Alfie with a big dream - to have his own band and play great music. He asks his musician dog friends to join his band, including back-up singer Rahl who plays keyboard and many other instruments, Tubby who plays base guitar, and Ollie who plays drums. But the only problem is deciding what kind of music to play. They ask all of their animal friends to help them choose. Young readers will not only enjoy the bold, bright and lively illustrations by Illustrator Wei Lu, they will also learn about many different types of music, instruments, and animals. Will the members of Dog Band be able to decide what kind of music feels right for them? Find out in this delightful book suitable for children aged 5-8. A great gift and the perfect addition to home and school libraries.
Lee Craig
5.0 out of 5 stars Another great book!
Reviewed in Canada on March 30, 2021
I bought Regan's lovely book, Libby the Lobivia Jajoiana recently and thoroughly enjoyed it. So I didn't hesitate buying Dog Band. A glorious little book - full of beautiful artwork and wonderful pets! Alfie and his friends wanting to form a band, are just delightful. And their outfits depicting the various musical possibilities are spot on. What a perfect way to introduce young children to the wonders of a world of music - a great teaching tool. I'm going to buy another copy to donate to my local elementary school's library.
The 1st edition of Dog Band launched Tuesday March 23rd on Zoom and was published by Iguana Books!
