The Best Picture Books for Dog Lovers
I grew up with two cats - named Zelda and Xylophone. Zelda was named after Princess Zelda, and Xylophone was named after the cat from the picture book series The Stupids. It actually wasn’t until college that I ever lived with a dog (a big lovable Great Pyrenees/St. Bernard mix named Tom) and we’ve had 1 or 2 dogs in the house ever since.
There was actually about 12 years in there where I lived without cats, and it wasn’t until the pandemic that we officially became a cat family again. But we still have 2 huge dogs in the house (a lab and yet another goofy, gigantic Great Pyrenees/St. Bernard mix), so I think it’s safe to say we have strong allegiances to both the dog-loving and cat-loving tribes.
Dogs are very special friends, as I’m certain you’re very well aware. Their loyalty, their constant desire to spend time with you and make you happy, their ability to feel guilt (you hear that, cats?) - dogs are the complete package. And when paired with a human that reciprocates the desire to spend time together and to make them happy, that’s when a very special and unforgettable bond is made.
Because of this strong bond, however, losing a dog is one of the most painful feelings in the world. I suppose that’s why several of the books in this list inevitably deal with the death of our best friends. They can bring up painful memories, and invoke powerful emotions, but, in a strange way, it’s because they do a good job reminding you how magical and meaningful those relationships can be.
When gathering together the books on this list, I left off a few very famous dog books. In particular I’m thinking of Spot, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and Go, Dog. Go!. I assure you that I love these books just as much as the next guy. I only left them off of this particular list because I was certain you already knew about them. And if you were hunting for dog picture books you had already thought of them! But, by all means, if you’re putting together a brand new home library of dog books for a new baby, don’t forget those classics!
I hope this list of dog picture books give you and the other dog lovers in your home or classroom something new to enjoy together. I think there’s a good mix of books for babies as well as much longer and more emotionally complex picture books. But, above all, I’m quite certain that you true dog fans out there will find something to enjoy and help you celebrate our four-legged friends.
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My Dog Banana
Written by Roxane Brouillard and Illustrated by Giulia Sagramola
If you’re on the hunt for whimsy and quirkiness in your dog books, allow me to introduce you to My Dog Banana. Is that a dog on the end of that child’s leash, or is it a banana? The child insists that the dog is a three-time gold medalist at the World Dog Competition. But it certainly looks like a banana. Maybe the people on the street just don’t know anything about dogs.
Obviously this is the kind of book that will make kids laugh out loud. It’s very funny and memorable, and it has a great aesthetic to it too. It’s a very handsome book with an art style that I enjoy very much. And it’s just absurd enough to fit our senses of humor around here perfectly. And, of course, it can serve as a nice little boost to your imagination.
The Rough Patch
Written and Illustrated by Brian Lies
One of my very favorite picture books on this list also happens to be one of the saddest books on this list. The Rough Patch is about a fox that loses his pet dog - his best friend in the world. It’s a book about dealing with sadness as much as it is a book about our relationship with dogs. Evan the fox doesn’t deal with his sadness very well - and turns his garden into something ugly and twisted that matches his feelings inside.
The way he deals with his pain is very relatable for people dealing with loss, and that’s what makes this book so emotional. This book also follows the story to the conclusion we all so often reach - when we open our hearts to a new four-legged friend to join the family. I think this is a very useful book for talking about the way we feel after a loved-one dies. And it’s a good reminder that we often still have a lot of love to give when we are ready.
Cat & Dog
Written and Illustrated by Tullio Corda
Cat & Dog would be at home on either this list or our cat list, because both Cat and Dog get equal attention here. In fact, it’s perfectly equal, because the entire book is written as a book of one-word opposites - one word for the cat and one word for the dog. Think about opposite books for toddlers like “big/small” or “slow/fast” - but with much more interesting illustrations guiding the way to make the story more interesting than your typical book of opposites.
Because of the cleverness of its construction and because of its humor, I think the book manages to be appealing to a wider age-range than you might expect. It’s impressive to manage to tell an entire story with the “opposite words” format. By the end it feels like you have a good feeling about the personality of both Dog and Cat, and I think you can attribute a lot of that to the emotions on their faces and in their eyes especially. My very favorite opposite is definitely upset vs unconcerned, and I think you can make a pretty good guess about which animal is unconcerned.
Dogs!
Written by Dr. John Hutton and Illustrated by Doug Cenko
Dogs! is a part of a series of board books from Dr. John Hutton that encourage dialogic reading - which means kids are encouraged to actively participate in the story and relate it to his or her life. We’ve had this book for quite a long time now, and I even wrote an article about dialogic reading inspired by these books. And the cutest thing is that my 9-year-old still insists on keeping both Dogs! and Cats! on his own bookshelf in his room.
Dogs! makes for a great read aloud because of the way it’s designed. There are lots of fill-in-the-blanks and the book asks lots of questions for the reader to answer out loud. I’m a big fan of Doug Cenko’s cute art too, so this one is engaging in more ways than one. It’s a pleasure to have a book that’s so conscious about the read aloud experience, and I highly recommend this series for parents of little ones.
Paolo: Emperor of Rome
Written by Mac Barnett and Illustrated by Claire Keane
This one is as much a love letter to Rome as it is to dogs, so if you happen to love both Rome and dogs then do I have a book for you. The illustrations are remarkable and will undoubtedly bring up many nostalgic feelings for anyone that has a soft spot for the eternal city in their heart. I truly can’t speak highly enough of this art.
It’s funny in a way that this book doesn’t really celebrate dogs as companions for humans like almost all dog books do. In fact, Paolo escapes an owner that doesn’t like him very much to live a happy life on the streets of Rome. He becomes a leader of sorts for the other street dogs, and finds true happiness. It’s a great reminder to get your dogs out to live life and smell interesting smells every day. And it’s a pretty great character-based story from the great Mac Barnett that has a modern classic feel to it.
Let’s Have a Dog Party!
Written and Illustrated by Mikela Prevost
This is a wonderful book about a dog who doesn’t like loud noises, and it’s a fantastic lesson in empathy. I love talking about empathy with the kids, and a book that’s specifically about showing empathy to a dog is a pretty special tool in my opinion. I think kids can definitely use a reminder that our animal friends have feelings and deserve kindness and consideration. In fact, I once wrote an entire article about Let’s Have a Dog Party! and empathy.
Frank is a simple dog who likes his warm spot by the window and a good nap. But his owner, Kate, has decided to throw him a big, loud birthday party. It’s the perfect example of how you can do something with good intentions and still upset someone. Eventually, when Frank is hiding in the closet, Kate finally realizes how Frank is feeling. You might especially connect with this one if you happen to have a nervous pup like we do. But I’m also happy to report that Kate completely redeems herself and we get a chance to see Kate and Frank’s special relationship when they fall asleep together.
Wake Up, Color Pup
Written and Illustrated by Taia Morley
Wake Up, Color Pup is a great book for little ones, and both of our kids enjoyed it a lot when they were young. It also previously made our list of books that teach colors, because color is a big part of both the theme and the illustrations in this book. If you’re shopping for a little dog fan this is one to keep an eye on.
The book reads like a poem as this cute pup explores the world one color at a time - and getting it all over himself. But a big rainstorm comes and washes all of his color away. There are a couple of wonderful two-page spreads - one with a spooky storm and one full of all the color the dog shakes off. The art is undoubtedly a big part of what my kids enjoy about this one, and I’ve always remembered it as a good way to practice colors - especially with little dog lovers.
Gaston (& Antoinette)
Written by Kelly DiPucchio and Illustrated by Christian Robinson
Gaston (and the sequel Antoinette) is a wonderful book for dog lovers. And a primary reason is undoubtedly that it’s illustrated by the amazing Christian Robinson, who creates just about the cutest pups on this list. It’s about a little bulldog who was accidentally switched at birth with a little poodle. If you think about it too much, it’s an interesting commentary about nature vs nurture, which I’m always interested in wondering about, but I’m not sure we’re supposed to think about it that much in this case.
What I think we’re actually supposed to focus on is love and belonging and being true to yourself. Gaston is happier with his family of poodles that he’s always known, and dressing up and acting proper. And Antoinette is happier with her family of rough and tumble bulldogs. You could certainly interpret it as a nod to being yourself. The key line is when Gaston and Antoinette grow up and fall in love and have puppies of their own, and they let them grow up to be whatever they want.
Good Dog, Carl
Written and Illustrated by Alexandra Day
I know I left Spot and Clifford the Big Red Dog off of this list because I assumed you already knew about them, but I couldn’t get myself to leave Carl off. He’s my favorite classic dog, and I’ll just tell myself there’s still a chance you haven’t heard of him yet. (But surely you have, right?)
It isn’t entirely a wordless picture book, but it might as well be. The woman leaves her dog Carl in charge of babysitting (and this never struck me as entirely crazy until right this moment), tells him she’ll be back shortly, and says “Good Dog, Carl,” when she gets back. But that’s all of the words in the book. The vast majority of the book is Carl and the baby getting into mischief together and it’s magnificent. One of the best wordless picture books ever made as far as I’m concerned.
Dog’s First Baby
Written and Illustrated by Natalie Nelson
This board book (and it’s cat-themed counterpart) is absolutely hilarious. Based on the simple title, and based on the fact that it’s a board book, nobody could blame you for overlooking it - assuming it’s derivative and boring and for babies. But you couldn’t possibly be more mistaken!
As it turns out, it’s funny, it’s sweet, and it’s so clever. The family dog can’t quite figure out what the new baby is, and spends most of the book making comparisons to decide if it’s a new little dog. The book manages to do a masterful job at not only highlighting the humor that exists between their similarities - but also the special relationship that these friends are going to have. I assure you that this is one of the most pleasant book surprises I’ve had in a long time!
Love from Alfie McPoonst: The Best Dog Ever
Written by Dawn McNiff and Illustrated by Patricia Metola
I actually found this book while researching the art of Patricia Metola, which I’m really impressed with. I like her style very much, and it’s the perfect whimsical and dreamy companion to this book about love and loss. The book actually begins with a dog that has passed away, and a girl curled up with an empty dog bed, so unfortunately this is also another sad one.
But it’s incredibly original and inventive too. The mom gives the girl a series of letters postmarked to her - allegedly written by her former dog, Alfie McPoonst - from Dog Heaven. He tells her about all of the parks, all of the sticks, and all of the dog treats. He also gets to chase postmen and never take baths. The little girl also writes Alfie McPoonst a letter back, letting him know that she loves him forever. This one manages to be a emotional book about parenting as well as our relationship with dogs - and I think it’s incredibly sweet.
We Want a Dog
Written and Illustrated by Lo Cole
This is a very imaginative and distinctive-looking picture book about dogs from Lo Cole. It’s heavy on black, red, and white - which I think is better for contrast and for babies’ eyes, but I’m not entirely sure that was the intention. But it certainly makes this art stand out and makes it fun to point out the details of all of the funny varieties of dogs.
It also makes for a great read aloud, because, on top of the fun pictures, it’s also a rhyming book and several funny moments scattered throughout at a good pace. But, perhaps best of all for my cat-loving kids, it also has a very unexpected ending for a book titled We Want a Dog. Perhaps they don’t want a dog after all, but it’s still a good book for dog lovers seeing as the vast majority of the book is still dedicated to dogs of all shapes and sizes.
The Longest Letsgoboy
Written by Derick Wilder and Illustrated by Cátia Chien
The books on this list aren’t listed in any particular order, but, for the record, The Longest Letsgoboy is very likely my favorite dog picture book ever made. Derick Wilder wrote this book from the perspective of the dog, and used many cute made up names for all of the things the dog doesn’t know the proper names for. Hence the name of the book - because the dog calls walks “letsgoboys.”
But this is tragically also the very last “letsgoboy” with his “foreverfriend.” The dog in the book is about to die. And anyone who has ever been on a last walk with a dog will break down in tears while reading this book. It’s unbelievably emotional and so very well done. The art and the words are both perfect. It’s a very special work of art from both author and illustrator, and it perfectly captures the cute goofy whimsy a dog brings to your life at the very same time it shatters your heart with the pain that parting can bring.
I Want a Dog
Written and Illustrated by Jon Agee
The funny thing about picture books about dogs is that a seemingly large portion of them end up not being about dogs at all. Maybe the dog is a banana, or maybe the end up wanting a cat - and I Want a Dog kind of fits into that category as well. Perhaps it would do even better on a list of books for lovers of all animals - but just look at that sweet cover with a big dog hug!
The little girl in this book does want a dog from a local pet shop, but this pet shop seems to be very much like the cheese shop from Monty Python. Does this guy actually have any dogs? He brings out anteaters, a python, a goldfish, and a lizard dressed up as a dog, but I’m beginning to doubt that he actually has any dogs. It’s a very funny book, and it does include a sweet ode to why the girl wants a dog, but it’s admittedly lacking in the actual dogs department!
My Best Friend
Written and Illustrated by Miguel Tanco
Miguel Tanco has previously made our lists of picture books about dads and picture books about moms, and now he’s made the list of picture books about man’s best friend! He has a real knack for highlighting the special moments in the various relationships in our lives - and he’s at the top of his game with My Best Friend.
Those previous books were also smaller and featured illustrations that were less fleshed-out than the colorful two-page spreads on display here. I point that out because I’ve always really enjoyed Tanco’s work, and it makes me really happy to see what he can do with these big beautiful watercolor pictures. Another cool feature is that he basically gave us 4 alternative covers! One on the front, one on the back, and 2 more hiding under the dust jacket! The story reads like an ode to a single dog, but every single page features a new duo of child and dog companion - making the art a very important part of the package.
Are you more of a cat person? Make sure to check out our list of the best picture books for cat lovers!
What’s your favorite picture book about dogs? Did it make our list? Let us know in the comments!
