He's a ranch dog. Breakfast is his life, especially when bacon is involved. Charlie has dangly ears, floppy skin, and big, fat paws. And he loves living in the country. That's because he works like a dog...
fixing fences, gardening, and helping his family out on the range. Yep, it's all work all the time for Charlie the ranch dog.
But what he works on most is sleep. ZZZZZZZ
Come along as Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman, writes about her beloved short-legged pioneer dog named Charlie.
Visit Ree's blog at www.thepioneerwoman.com
Click here to meet the real Charlie. Ree Drummond introduces us to her lovable Basset Hound in this fun
VIDEO.
From Publishers Weekly A droopy-eyed basset hound is the star of the first children's book from Drummond,
best known for her Pioneer Woman blog and subsequent books. Perhaps the most self-deluded ranch dog since Hank
the Cowdog, Charlie introduces himself and Suzie, the younger, more energetic dog on Drummond's ranch. While
lazy Charlie contemplates chasing a cow out of the yard, Suzie gets the job done. As Charlie sniffs under the
porch steps for interlopers and finds none, Suzie gives chase to a squirrel she's found in the same spot.
Charlie seems unaware of the impish chipmunk that deGroat, with characteristic humor, sneaks into each spread.
Her paintings drolly portray the discrepancy between reality and Charlie's perceptions of his day, during which
eating ("I can't be expected to do all this work on an empty stomach") and napping ("I must have accidentally closed
my eyes for a few seconds") are high priorities. Adult readers will recognize in Charlie's voice the understated humor
that has made Drummond's blog so successful; kids should find it irresistible.
From Booklist Popular blogger and adult-book author Drummond (The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, 2011)
writes from the point of view of her basset hound, Charlie, who shares details about their ranch life. Although Charlie states
that it is he who is the caretaker, keeping critters away from the front porch and helping out in the garden, in actuality,
he sleeps much of the time, and it is Suzie, a hyperactive Jack Russell terrier puppy and Charlie's best friend, who is
on top of things. Charlie is OK with that until everyone goes off to work on another part of the ranch without him.
However, he is able to prove his worth when cows get into the garden. DeGroat's cozy illustrations picture a beguiling
Charlie on a comfortable ranch with appealing accoutrement. An observant chipmunk adds an extra touch of humor, and a
lasagna recipe is thrown in for good measure. Mary Casanova's Some Dog (2007) and Sandra Day O'Connor's Finding Susie
(2009) feature canines in similar situations.
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