Haus-Hold Picture Book Review: Walkies: a Dog's Tale

5 Stars for the Title Alone!

I'm a huge fan of Estrela Lourenco's illustration style. My kids and I adored her funny and clever illustrations in WHEN AN ELEPHANT HEARS NO (words by Dazzle Ng) and COUNTING TO BANANAS (words by Carrie Tillotson). So I started following her on Twitter/X and kept an eye on her next project, WALKIES: A DOG'S TALE.

I gave the book to my 3 year old as a birthday gift, and we have read it every night since then. That's two straight weeks of Walkies, friends. And I'm not complaining. I love it just as much as he does!

"It opened up different points of discussion than a picture book with words, which is a great way for caregivers and teachers to connect with the kiddos they're reading to."

Synopsis

After school on a rainy day, Kid would rather play video games than take Dog for a walk. But Mom is busy making dinner, and Dog's gotta do what a dog's gotta do. At first, Kid is pretty confident that walking in the rain is the WORST. But with some mud, splashing, and amazing views, perhaps walkies > video games after all.

What my Kids Loved: My oldest felt an immediate connection with the child in this story- they both love video games! Throw in some rain and an eager dog, and he was hooked. Both of my children loved taking in this story from a purely visual standpoint, "reading" the pictures silently. But then they both went back and read it again, adding in their own narration or explaining the pictures to me. It was a new experience for them, being in control of the words, and that made it an exciting read for all of us.

What I Loved: As a mom, this book grabbed my attention right away. First, I love dogs and so do my kids. Second, I love that the title is "WALKIES"- I can just hear it, can't you? "Who's ready for WALKIES???" Third, the cover. I laugh every time I see it. What dog owner hasn't been in that kid's shoes? I had to pre-order this one!

As a writer, I'm in awe of the way this book tells an entire story without using one single word. The pictures do all the heavy lifting and draw on a wide range of emotions without needing to put those feelings into words. Lourenco's use of color to set the mood and the way she changes up how many "scenes" are on a page create a perfectly paced tale that's similar to viewing one of those award-winning Pixar shorts (this one reminds me of the way I felt when I watched "Piper" for the first time). I'd love to chat with her about her planning and drafting process to learn more about the details that go into creating a wordless picture book.

My favorite lines:

Since this one has no lines, I'll simply share a picture of one of my favorite spreads:

Final thoughts: My kids are 7 years apart, and they both loved this book. It connected with each of them differently. Since there are no words on the page, the book invited me to ask my children questions about what was happening in the story and what they could infer about character traits. It opened up different points of discussion than a picture book with words, which is a great way for caregivers and teachers to connect with the kiddos they're reading to.

You can request Walkies: A Dog's Tale from your local library or purchase from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other retailers- but don't forget to check your local independent bookstore first!