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Job Wanted

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Job Wanted
By Teresa Bateman
Holiday House, 2015. Picture book.

An old dog arrives at a farm looking for work, but the farmer declares he has no use for a dog, since dogs don’t earn their keep like the other farm animals. Undeterred, the dog asks if there is an opening for a cow, and on being told yes, declares that he will start work the next day. In the morning the cows are all lined up, ready and waiting for the farmer to milk them, thanks to the dog’s efforts. The farmer has to admit it is convenient, but still, a dog is not a cow and there’s no opening for a dog. The dog then tries out to be a horse and a chicken, failing at both but still managing to make the farmer’s work go twice as smoothly. Will the old dog be able to make a place for himself?

A great read-aloud story with gentle humor and some nice themes about the payoffs of perseverance, creativity, and hard work.
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Ms. Yingling said…
This looks very sweet. May have to read it to MY dog, whose job it is to snuggle in my armpit whenever I am reading, and to make sure I don't have any food in my mouth that I've forgotten about!
March 30, 2016 at 10:07 AM
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