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Norman Speak!

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By DeeDee
 Cover image for Norman, speak!
Norman Speak! 
By Caroline Adderson
Illustrated by Qin Leng
Groundwood Books, 2014. unpaged picture book

When a family chooses a dog, Norman, from a dog shelter, they are disappointed that he doesn't know any basic commands. The Norman doesn't know to come, sit, or speak on command, so the family decides he must not be very smart. Then one day Norman hears another dog owner giving commands in a different language.  Norman responds, and they discover that their dog understands Chinese.  As the family tries to learn simple commands in Chinese, they realize just how smart Norman is. The heart warming story is illustrated by watercolor and ink cartoons in soft colors. What a great way to teach children not to underestimate people (or dogs) who speak a different language.
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