Dog books for kids, starring a real one

Nine dog books for kids, by age

A good dog book for kids does one of two things: it gives a dog-obsessed kid more dog, or it gives a kid who wants a dog a safe place to put all that wanting. The nine below do one or the other, and a few do both. We put ours first because it's the only one on the list starring a real dog you can meet on this site, and then the classics every shelf should have.

1. Rally Takes the Train

   Kelsey Lizee Cecil, illustrated by Leslie Dunn · ages 0 to 8

   A real corgi named Rally rides the train by himself to visit his grand-paw-rents. Rhyming, about five minutes, and every page is hand-painted watercolor, so the dog on the page looks like a dog. The one dog book here with a journey in it, which is why it works for kids who love trains too.

   Buy on Amazon, $13.99 (opens in a new tab)

2. Where's Spot?

   Eric Hill · ages 0 to 3

   The lift-the-flap classic. A puppy is missing and every flap hides a different animal. The first dog book most babies ever meet.

3. Go, Dog. Go!

   P.D. Eastman · ages 2 to 6

   Dogs in cars, dogs in hats, dogs at a party in a tree. Almost no plot, enormous fun, and a reliable first book for a kid learning to read.

4. Harry the Dirty Dog

   Gene Zion, illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham · ages 3 to 7

   A white dog with black spots gets so dirty he becomes a black dog with white spots, and his family doesn't recognize him. Still funny seventy years on.

5. Biscuit

   Alyssa Satin Capucilli, illustrated by Pat Schories · ages 2 to 6

   A small yellow puppy who won't go to bed. The whole series is gentle, repetitive, and perfect for a brand-new reader.

6. Good Dog, Carl

   Alexandra Day · ages 1 to 5

   A wordless book: a Rottweiler babysits a toddler and nothing goes wrong, mostly. Kids tell this story themselves, differently every time.

7. The Pigeon Wants a Puppy!

   Mo Willems · ages 3 to 7

   The Pigeon is sure he wants a puppy, until he meets one. For every kid who has asked for a dog this week.

8. Officer Buckle and Gloria

   Peggy Rathmann · ages 4 to 8

   A police dog steals the show at school safety assemblies behind her officer's back. Caldecott Medal winner, and the kids catch the joke before the grown-ups.

9. How Rocket Learned to Read

   Tad Hills · ages 3 to 7

   A little dog learns letters from a patient yellow bird. Sweet, and quietly useful for a kid starting to read.

How to pick a dog book for your kid

• Under three: flaps, repetition, one dog, one idea. Spot, Carl, Biscuit.
• Three to five: a real story with a dog who wants something. Rally wants to get to his grandparents. Harry wants to come home clean. The Pigeon wants a puppy.
• Five to eight: humor the kid gets before you do. Officer Buckle, Go Dog Go, and Rally's corgi glitter page.
• Any age, for a kid who loves dogs: art that looks like a dog. Painted and drawn books hold up better than clip-art on the fortieth read.

The dog book for kids who want a dog

If your kid is campaigning for a puppy, a dog book is the cheapest way to say "not yet" and still say yes to something. Rally Takes the Train works especially well here because Rally is real: a Pembroke Welsh Corgi who lives with the author's family and was painted from photos. Kids read the book and then go to the corgi page to see him, which is almost as good as having one. Almost.

A dog book that's also a train book, a grandparent book, and a gift

Most dog books are only dog books. Rally is a dog on a train on his way to his grandparents, so it fits a kid in the train phase, a visit to grandma and grandpa, a baby shower where you bring a book instead of a card, and a classroom transportation unit. It's $13.99, ships fast from Amazon, and the inside cover has room to sign.