Dudley’s Day at Home by Karen Kaufman Orloff

If you have a dog, you’ve probably often looked at said dog and wondered what on earth he was thinking, or questioned what she does when you leave her in your house all day. I know we frequently try to figure our own dog out! So, today, I’m delighted to bring all of you pet lovers (and those of you who just like funny stories) Dudley’s Day at Home, by Karen Kaufman Orloff, illustrated by Renée Andriani.

*** Affiliate links used. A big thank you to Flashlight Press for sharing this book with our family in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions of this book are my own. 

Meet Sam, curious kid, son to Mom, and owner of Dudley, the exuberant dog. As they are leaving the house one day, Sam asks his mom, “What does Dudley do all day when we go out?” Ah yes, the eternal question of families with pets… What on earth do they do when we’re not around? Do they really just sleep on their pillows all day? How do they play and keep themselves entertained if we’re not around?

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As Mom gives Sam standards answers of eat, play, and sleep, we see Sam’s interpretation of these answers… We see visions of Dudley making pancakes, playing checkers, and curling up in a proper bed for a nap. Our favorite page is when Mom reminds Sam that Dudley probably needs to go out into the yard to “do his business,” a common phrase for dog owners… But Sam’s vision of Dudley’s business is quite different!

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But… as you read more of the book and you get to the page where Sam and Mom return home, astute readers may start to wonder if these illustrations reflect Sam’s understanding of eat, play, sleep, and business, or if these are actually what Dudley does all day! Because Dudley’s daydreams of what humans do when dogs aren’t around are interrupted by the humans arriving home… Which also interrupts Dudley’s clean-up time from all of the fun he had while they were out!

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Not only entertaining but a terrific book for conversations about perspective and personal experiences, this one is bound to make the whole family giggle… and, of course, wonder what exactly their pets DO do all day!

If you liked Dudley’s Day at Home, you might also like:

• A Tale of Two Beasts by Fiona Roberton — You can read my full review here.
• I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff, illustrated by David Catrow
• Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown

If you’d like to purchase Dudley’s Day at Home through my affiliate links, click the buttons below!