“If you were a dog, would you be a speedy-quick, lickedy-sloppidy, scavenge-the-garbage, Frisbee-catching, hot-dog-stealing, pillow-hogging, best-friend-ever sort of dog? Would you howl at the moon? Some dogs do.” A playful picture book full of fresh turns of phrase asks similar questions about being a cat, fish, bird, bug, frog, and even a dinosaur in author Jamie Swenson’s merry offering that is sure to invite role-playing (be prepared for moon-howling and dinosaur stomping in story time). Chris Raschka’s whimsical illustrations are a perfect match for Swenson’s imaginative outing that concludes with the very best thing of all to be: a kid! Highly Commended, 2015 Charlotte Zolotow Award (Ages 3–6)

If you could be any kind of animal, what would you be? Would you be a dog that goes ARRRROOOOOOO? Or maybe you would be a sharp-toothed dinosaur that can CHOMP, STOMP, ROAR! Perhaps you might want to be a hopping frog that goes BOING, BOING, RIBBET! But maybe you would want to be the best kind of animal of all: a child!

With joyful, impressionistic illustrations from Caldecott Medal–winning illustrator Chris Raschka and spare, rhythmic text from author Jamie A. Swenson that invites playful interaction, If You Were a Dog is the perfect read-aloud for your favorite little animal.