Cover Image: Good Dog, McTavish

Good Dog, McTavish

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Member Reviews

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The illustrations are interesting and different. The story is good. I like that the dog helps the family.

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I love that the story is told from the perspective of the dog ,McTavish, and that he thinks is the one adopting the family and not the other way around. Also, bonus points for the family going to an animal shelter when they decided to get a dog. McTavish’s plan to fix the family is funny and clever. The humor and character flaws in this book were very reminiscent of the Roald Dahl books I read as a kid. So, if you are a fan of James and the Giant Peach or Matilda then you will most likely be a fan of this book. This book is perfect for upper elementary/middle grade students.

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I enjoyed this story and think kids 8-12 will, too! A messed up family.s mom goes on strike when her family won't chip in and do chores. The family gets its comeuppance when a rescue dog adopts them and rescues them!
Great story! Loved the illustrations!

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I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own - and well - my four year old daughters.

Good Dog McTavish, written by Meg Rosoff, is a fun and colourful story. It tells of a story of a clever and helpful dog. My daughter, being too young to stay entertained and focused long enough to finish the book, still enjoyed a bit of the new story. I am sure it will be a great read for a more older (than 4 years) age category.

Thank you Meg.

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DISCLAIMER: The book is given by NetGalley, the author and the publisher in exchange of an honest review. All the review written is not related to any personal issues or connection.

TRIGGER: This is a sweet graphic children book. The illustrations provided are in black and white yet they do not lessen the essence of this sweet story.  

Publication Date: 9 April 2019

"Sometimes McTavish felt a little sorry for humans. There was no question at all that even a run-of-the-mill dog had a better life than a moderately clever human, though every human McTavish had ever met considered himself vastly superior to all other members of all the animal kingdom. Humans were puzzlingly dim. McTavish sighed. There was so much work to do..."

"McTavish laid his head on his front paws and gazed at the ceiling. He knew that humans were an inferior race, but their foolishness never ceased to amaze them. Why? he thought. Why can't they think for themselves..."

This book comes as a fun book for me. McTavish, the dog seems like more than a human. He knows that the family needs and he is willing to teach the family a lesson they will never forget. The book is published on 9 April 2019 and can be purchased now. Yet I cannot wait to read more stories of McTavish soon. Thank you, Ms. Rosoff for writing such fun story and thank you, Ms. Easton for the illustrations. They really make my day. 

Full review: https://literatureisliving.wordpress.com/2019/04/13/good-dog-mctavish-by-meg-rosoff/

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Meg Rosoff’s Good Dog, McTavish is a lovely and easy read about a clever dog who adopts a family in crisis. This simple children’s book features cute illustrations by Grace Easton. While I enjoyed this quick and charming story, I would have liked more illustrations and for the characters and writing to be a little more developed.

Ma Peachey is overworked and underappreciated. When she decides to give up being a mother and takes up yoga, the Peachey family descends into chaos. There’s no one to cook dinner, the house is in shambles, everyone is always late, and there’s constant squabbling. Enter McTavish, a rescue dog with a mission to whip the Peachey family into shape!

This is a really cute book that you can speed through in a few hours. Rosoff’s writing is approachably simple while also being entertaining and lightly humorous. I like that she features important life lessons but avoids being didactic. The gradual change in the Peacheys feels natural and it’s great to see them learn and grow. But, while the ending is sweet and fitting, I wish that it was a little more definitive.

I love the adorably clever McTavish! I hope that he appears in more books. I also like the Peacheys, especially sensible and sensitive Betty. However, I would have liked the other children to be slightly less stereotypical.

Easton’s illustrations are lovely, simple, and nicely support the writing. However, I do wish that they were more detailed. I would have also liked some more illustrations.

Good Dog, McTavish is a charming and fun read featuring a brilliant and memorable dog. I quite like this book and I really hope to see more of McTavish’s adventures. This book is perfect for middle-grade readers but adults can definitely find a worthwhile lesson or two in this!

🐶 🐶 🐶 🐶 ½ brilliantly memorable puppies out of 5!

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Meg Rosoff has convinced me that I need my very own McTavish to help organize my life! Good Dog McTavish is wonderful read - charming, clever, and just a bit cheeky!

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A sweet and and enjoyable book.
I love stories with animals and I loved McTavish, how he adopted a family and he improved their life.
I loved the humour in this story and found the plot entertaining and interesting.
I think children will love it but it can also be appreciated by adults.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Candlewick Press and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

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This book was received as an ARC from Candlewick Press in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

What attracted me to this book originally was the name of the dog (McTavish). McTavish was the name of my nanny's dog that was a rescue but the dog was on the grumpy side and had many health problems so it was a refreshing treat that the dog in this story saved the family from chaos and the Peaches did not only rescue McTavish but McTavish rescued them. All thanks to the youngest daughter! I am also the youngest in my family and this concurs that the youngest child in certain areas can definitely be the wisest. This book gave me an opportunity to stroll down memory lane and that made it all enjoyable. I know that readers in some way will have that experience too.

We will consider adding this title to our JFiction collection in our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

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Great little story about a family that adopts a dog...but not just any dog. McTavish! Although a work of fiction, it deals with the responsibilities of owning, and taking on a pet. It also deals with problem-solving and dysfunctional families! It’s not too long either, and perfect for my more reluctant readers, without compromising on content!

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What happens with a mom decides that she is tired of doing thing for the family and goes on strike?

In this case, the family goes out and gets a dog, and a good thing to, or else they would have starved to death and warn dirty clothes the rest of their natural lives.

This is such a fun book. McTavish, the dog, knows that the family is broken, and uses his wiles to get the family to start, gasp, doing things for themselves.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4990" src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Screen-Shot-2019-02-27-at-5.22.22-PM.png" alt="Mctavish" />
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4991" src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Screen-Shot-2019-02-27-at-5.21.53-PM.png" alt="Mctavish" />

For example, when they dont't wash their own clothes, he takes them and hides them until they run out of anything to wear, and have to get the clothes back, and wash out the dog smell.

And when he stops eating, Betty, the youngest, asks the vet what the dog should eat, and so she starts making veggies and chicken and rice for the dog, and it smells so good, and tastes so good, that the kids give up eating junk food to eat the "dog food."

Will the mother come off strike? Will every one survive? Will they ever get to school on time?

So much fun, and I hope there are more stories about McTavish at some point.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

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God Dog, McTavish is a fun and entertaining story of a busy family that was in need of a family pet. Everyone in the family seemed a bit out of routine, always relying on mom. She was tired of endless chores and no appreciation or support from the family, so she went on strike. She stopped doing laundry, cleaning anything, cooking or getting anyone ready for school. While mom was off doing yoga, dad and the kids adopted a new pet, McTavish. McTavish was the perfect pet, not because he didn’t chew on their stuff or ever bark, but because he got them to all be a bit more responsible.
This is an adorable chapter book about family life and welcoming a new member into your family.
Thank you to Candlewick Press and NetGalley for this advanced copy.

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Thank you NetGalley for providing this digital ARC.

This short middle grade is a book about a dog who adopts a family that is falling apart because the under appreciated mom decides to resign from her motherly duties. McTavish, the dog, puts plans in place to create order in the household alongside the mature MC, Betsy.

The style of writing reminders me of Series of Unfortunate Events or The Willoughby’s—with a slightly sarcastic and satirical feel to it. It was an extremely fast read and somewhat forgettable, but I imagine young readers, 2nd-3rd grade, may enjoy it.

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I read this book with our 6 and 8-year-olds. They love books about animals and they especially enjoyed the idea of the dog adopting the family, which was such a fun and unique idea. It was charming and I loved how the family was able to learn from McTavish and they all were better off because of him. We enjoyed the illustrations and they added so much to this story.

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I read this with my 8 and 11 year old and we all loved it! Such a cute story about a dog that adopts a family that is in the middle of a bit of a crisis. Ma Peachey has decided to give up mothering. She no longer wants the thankless job of cooking, cleaning and reminding the family of all they need to do and is instead going to meditate and perfect her yoga skills (a woman after my own heart). Thankfully, McTavish comes along to save the day.. Ideal for ages 6-12.

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