When I was little, I had a book about a white dog who desperately wanted
to be a fire dog. He finally proved himself worthy of the job when he
rushed into a fire to perform an important rescue for a young child,
gaining spots of soot in the process. I don't remember the name of the
book. I do recall, however, that it had no words, so it was up to me to
do the narrating whenever I read that story.
Carl's Christmas,
by Alexandra Day, is like that. The book's first and only bit of text
explains that the humans with whom Carl the Rottweiler lives are off to
Grandma's and then attending a Christmas Eve service. There is no
dialogue tag, but the man seems to have his mouth open and his hand
extended mid-gesticulation. After this first page, the tale is told
exclusively through the paintings.
Rottweilers have
unfortunately acquired a pretty bad reputation, generally thought of in
conjunction with bared teeth and throaty growls. I've met some perfectly
congenial Rotties, however, so I know that Carl is not entirely unique
to his breed. Still, it would be a tad jarring to see any type of canine
assigned babysitting duties for the evening, even if we were talking
about Old English Sheepdogs or Golden Retrievers. And I'm one of the
most devoted dog lovers I know. It's one thing to have Nana in Peter Pan
watching over the children; after all, Wendy is certainly old enough to
be babysitting on her own, so Nana really is just a figurehead. But
leaving a dog alone with an infant seems most unwise.
Children
of an age to peruse this book probably won't care too much that Carl is
pulling babysitting duty - though the dogless among them may find
themselves desperate for a canine companion. The paintings are warm and
imaginative, and Carl looks incredibly soft and huggable as he rides
around town with the baby on his back, treating his charge to all sorts
of Christmas delights.
It's especially nice that so many of
Carl's activities involve kindness to others. After taking time to
festively - though quite messily - decorate a plant in the living room
as a complement to the majestic Christmas tree, he bundles up the little
one and sets off for the toy store, where they observe a whirlwind of
eye-popping delights and manage to win a basket full of Christmas
goodies, which Carl promptly lays at the feet of a Salvation Army Santa.
They add their melodious stylings to a group of carolers and
return home for a peaceful fireside snooze alongside a motley crew of
new furry friends, who later receive special gifts from Santa, with whom
Carl has a dramatic encounter. The dog's startled expression as he
comes face to face with eight large reindeer wearing jingle bell
harnesses and pawing the snow in his front yard is hilarious, while our
parting impression of him, gently dozing on his paw while sporting a new
Christmas collar, is adorably peaceful.
Children "reading"
the book can add their own narration, filling in the details of Carl's
lavishly illustrated Christmas Eve adventures. Or not; the pictures
really do speak for themselves. I still wouldn't leave a baby in the
care of a pooch, but as I'm old enough to look after myself, I'd love to
step into the pages of Carl's Christmas and join this lovable pup on his frosty, festive journey.
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