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.
DOG BAND launched Tuesday March 23rd on Zoom!
Illustrations by Wei Lu
Published by Iguana Books!
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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Download the Media Kit:
| dog_band_media_kit.pdf |
Check out the "Dog Band" Book trailer!
View the Zoom "Dog Band" Book Launch Party:
Check out the reviews:
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”!
‘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
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, 2021Dog 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, 2021I 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.
