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Summary
Summary
A little dog named Ted sets out to find his perfect place, but no matter where he goes, he doesn't stand out. Will anyone ever notice Ted?
Ted has lived among the dogs at the pet store for as long as he can remember. But there are so many dogs there, nobody ever chooses Ted. So he decides to go someplace else -- someplace perfect. But Ted can't fly through the air like the circus dogs, and he doesn't have fancy pom-poms like the show dogs. Just as he loses hope, he sees a sign: Wanted: Perfect Pet. Little animal lovers will be tickled along with Ted at the unusual household that finally becomes his perfect place.
Author Notes
Leila Rudge was born in England and grew up making mud pies with her six siblings. This led her to Bath University, where she received a degree in illustration. Leila Rudge now lives in Australia.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-People coming to the pet store never notice Ted, even though he is a smart dog with his own green sweater. There are just too many other dogs. So the pup decides that it's time for a change; he joins the circus. But the other circus dogs can fly and leap through the air, so nobody notices Ted balancing on a popcorn box. Next, he tries a pet pageant. Even though he looks sensational after a blow dry and donning a feathered cap, still no one takes notice. They are too busy fawning over the purple and pink poodles. Undaunted, he tries his paw at guard dog duty. Unfortunately, Ted, some sort of a small, mixed breed, is hardly scary, and burglars don't notice him. Saddened, he heads back to the pet store where his luck is about to change. Dot, a little girl in a red jumper, is posting signs looking for a "furry friend [that] must enjoy long walks and ball games." This is perfect, thinks Ted, and the two become fabulous friends. Dot takes him home to his new "puuuuurrrrfect" house-with more than 20 cats. Illustrations done in pen, ink, and collage enhance this charming story. The drawings of Ted bring to mind another mutt, Harry the Dirty Dog. Recommended for independent reading or storytimes.-Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Rudge (Dog for a Day) finds low-key comedy in a dog's search to be noticed. Ted, "a smart dog with his own sweater," leaves his pet store to try out the circus (trained dogs leap through rings, Ted balances on a popcorn carton, no one notices him); a pet show (carefully groomed poodles pose on pillars, Ted wears a feathered headdress, no one notices him); and a junkyard (other guard dogs leap at burglar with teeth exposed, Ted jumps out, burglar doesn't notice him). At last-and not unexpectedly-a girl on a bike who's looking for "a furry friend" takes Ted home, where he joins a collection of furry felines. (The moment in which the 20-odd cats stare with wide-eyed horror at their new housemate is perhaps the story's funniest, and luckily they all get along.) Gentle colors with squiggly, penciled-in details give each page tranquil charm: fancy hairstyles, flower petals, flags, and ferns fill the spreads like wallpaper patterns. It's a quiet, small-scale story with an atmosphere that's free of suspense. Ages 3-7. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Ted looks a little like Harry the Dirty Dog (when Harry's dirty) but sporting a green sweater with a zigzag pattern. Unfortunately, that is not enough to get Ted noticed in the pet store, so he sets off to find "somewhere perfect." Next to the circus dogs with their trapeze act, Ted's trick of standing on a popcorn box gets no attention, so he tries a pet pageant. Beautifully groomed with flowers on his head and tail, he is nevertheless passed over in favor of poodles. Being a guard dog is no better, and he is about to give up hope when he notices a girl named Dot putting up posters looking for "a furry friend." In a funny surprise twist, the perfect place for Ted turns out to be a "puuuurrrrrfect" place. Rudge's soft illustrations in pencil, ink, and collage feature many patterns and amusing details for children to find. Dog and cat lovers especially will enjoy this one, with its many different breeds to admire as well as lots of feeling and heart. susan dove lempke (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A sweetly illustrated and mostly satisfying picture book about belonging.Ted is "a smart dog with his own sweater," but nobody notices him at the pet store, so he decides to join the circus. Nobody notices him there, either. After trying a few other activities (pet-pageant contestant, guard dog) with the same result, a deflated Ted is heading back to the pet store when he sees a notice seeking a "furry friend for Dot." He does "his best to make a good impression" (if readers aren't loving Ted by now, they have no heart), and Dot notices him. He has found where he belongsor has he? Dot brings Ted home, and a page turn reveals her cozy housefull of cats. (It turns out fine, though.) The illustrations, with their muted color scheme, nicely complement the deadpan humor of the text and are sprinkled with details that young readers may enjoy discovering. The major problem of the book is the final spread, introducing a knitting joke that feels tacked-on, despite the sweater that Ted wears throughout.But never mindthis humorous story with its lovable protagonist is a keeper nonetheless. (Picture book. 2-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.