The Nine Lives of Dudley Dog

by Ann Hassett and John Hassett

Dudley the dog is a persistent dog who chases one cat after another, paying no heed to the dangers of busy streets, trains, bees, bulldozers, skunks or raging fires. But then he meets the circus,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0618811532
• ISBN13: 9780618811533
• Release Date: March 2008
• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 10.0" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 4 to 7 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 2

Customer Reviews

Tiger Chow

Poor Dudley. Crazed by the sight of cats, this impetuous pooch dashes after felines blind to danger. Dudley charges into traffic, deep holes, hurricanes, and into burning buildings until...he chases the wrong cat. The stunned people in each scene scold, "Bad dog. Do you think you have nine lives like a cat?" Perhaps, dear Dudley does. I adore John and Ann Hassett's latest picture book, The Nine Lives of Dudley Dog nine times over. The co-writers perfectly orchestrate their text. The repeated line that takes up the center of the book becomes funnier on every page. When the Hassetts circle back to Dudley's family, there is a collective gasp as we discover Dudley's fate and thus the outcome of escapades. John's illustrations have a quirky movement and humor that holds more delicious detail with every read. I especially like his illustration of a paleontologist rich soil and his illustration of the smugness of tigers. Be prepared for the slightly macabre (but very funny) resolution.

Courtesy of Kids @ Teens Read Too

Sister had wished for a cat for her birthday, but due to a mix-up at the pet store, she got Dudley instead. Dudley is most definitely not a cat. He's a dog. So Sister makes a wish when she blows out her birthday candles, and Dudley begins doing what dogs do -- he chases cats. Through the park, into a burning building, into a hole at a construction site, through the circus (where cats are called tigers), and even into the swimming pool (Dudley can't swim). Everywhere he goes, people seem to have only one thing to say: "Do you think you have nine lives like a cat?" Throughout the day Dudley continues on, chasing cats. Until he shows up back at home, and climbs through Sister's window, looking decidedly different than when he left. Could Sister's wish have actually come true? Although many children will find THE NINE LIVES OF DUDLEY DOG amusing, older readers will quickly realize that there's no way that Sister's wish could have come true. A little strange, this is still a book that will entertain children who can suspend their disbelief. Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"