You can discuss and explore the different kinds of dogs any time of the year with your students. This post shares dog picture books that you can use for this purpose. All of the picture books on this list lend themselves to this topic really well. Take a peek below to learn more about these Dog Picture Books!
4 Dog Picture Books
Below is a list of some of our favorite dog picture books to share with elementary students. Check them out!
1. Dog Breath by Dav Pilkey
Hally Tosis is a dog who has very smelly breath. Everyone walks on the other side of the street when Hally is outside, and even skunks avoid her. The real trouble starts for Hally when she jumps up on Grandma Tosis, and Grandma passes out from the stink.
Mr. and Mrs. Tosis decide that they need to find a new home for Hally. The children try to get rid of Hally’s bad breath in many different ways, but nothing works.
Things change for Hally when her breath helps capture burglars when they try to break into her house. Hally becomes a hero and her family decides to keep her despite her stink. Students will laugh along with this story about a loveable dog with bad breath.
Check out these Dog Breath teaching resources and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging read aloud lessons!
2. Gaston by Kelly DiPiucchio
Gaston, by Kelly DiPucchio, tells the story of Mrs. Poodle and her four puppies. Mrs. Poodle teaches her puppies to be proper and graceful. Gaston however, is not like the other puppies. He grows the biggest and has to try harder at everything than his siblings.
One day at the park, Mrs. Poodle spots Mrs. Bulldog and her puppies. One of the bulldog puppies, Antoinette, looks and acts differently than the others. She is proper and graceful while the others are big and rough. The mother dogs realize they made a mistake. Gaston ends up going home with the bulldogs and Antoinette goes to the poodle’s house. Both puppies are uncomfortable in their new homes, and so are the mothers! The next day at the park, the mothers switch the puppies again and everything feels right again.
Students will love this sweet story about the puppies and learn about being true to themselves.
Check out these Gaston teaching resources and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging read aloud lessons!
3. Naughty Mabel by Nathan Lane and Devlin Elliott
Mabel is a spoiled dog who lives with her parents in the Hamptons. She is shocked when her parents call her naughty, because she is actually VERY naughty. Mabel is known for making a mess of the house, swallowing jewelry, and knocking over the Christmas tree. When Mabel’s parents make her take a bath, she knows it must mean they’re throwing a party!
To her disappointment, Mabel’s parents put her to bed before the party. However, she can’t stand to miss out because she loves parties. Mabel decides to go down to the party and causes all kinds of problems: spilling food and drinks and knocking guests into the pool. While at the party, Mabel ate too many pigs in a blanket and noticed her stomach start to grumble. She lets out gas so smelly all of the guests leave before the party is over! Mabel thinks her parents will be mad, but she is happy to learn they still love her, even when she is naughty.
Check out these Naughty Mabel teaching resources and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging read aloud lessons!
4. Officer Buckle and Gloria by Eve Bunting
Officer Buckle comes to Napville School to share safety tips with the students. When he tries to teach the students, they are not interested. He decides to bring along Gloria, the police dog, who steals the show.
When Officer Buckle realizes he is being upstaged, he gives up his job at Napville School. Gloria and the students convince Officer Buckle to come back to Napville School and work as a team.
Check out these Officer Buckle and Gloria teaching resources and activities to help you plan and deliver highly engaging read aloud lessons!
Grab the Free Reading Resources!
In closing, we hope you found this list of dog picture books helpful! They are part of our Starts With a Story collection. If you want to get more book ideas to read aloud to your elementary students, then grab this reading freebie. It includes read aloud books lists, reading logs, and reading challenges for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classroom teachers. It will have you covered for the entire school year, as well as the summer months! Grab this free elementary reading packet now!
