Best in Show: A Picture Book of Cheerful Dog Poetry for Kids (Ages 4-8)

A celebration of the extraordinary and ordinary power of dogs of all kinds, in sly and cheerful verse from celebrated poet David Elliott. Features artwork from an all-star cast of eighteen bestselling and award-winning illustrators.

In so many hearts you’re number one! Agile! High-spirited! Obedient! Fun! You hunt. You fish. You search and find. You cheer the old. You guide the blind.

In this ode to our most loyal companions, you’ll meet the Labrador Retriever and sixteen other remarkable dogs. There's the Bloodhound, who has a sense of smell one thousand times better than yours or mine. And there’s the Irish Wolfhound, the world’s tallest dog, who was once the companion of royalty. And we can’t forget the mutt.

But that’s not all! You’ll meet big dogs and small dogs, scruffy dogs and elegant dogs, and dogs from all around the world. Pairing engaging poems with surprising facts, Best in Show is a one-of-a-kind gift and a paw-sitively perfect read-aloud for dog lovers and aspiring pet owners.

Includes illustrations by Elaine Bay, Cátia Chien, Matthew Cordell, Cindy Derby, Flavia Z. Drago, Leo Espinosa, Raissa Figueroa, Julie Flett, Ebony Glenn, Rebecca Green, Emily Hughes, Oge Mora, Kenard Pak, Antoinette Portis, Raúl the Third, Sergio Ruzzier, Charles Santoso, and David Ezra Stein.

Don’t miss these titles by David Elliott:

• On the Farm
• In the Wild
• The Seventh Raven
• Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc
• Bull

David Elliott is the award-winning author of more than twenty-five books for young people, including the picture books On the Farm and the New York Times bestselling And Here’s to You! He is the author of the critically acclaimed verse novels Bull, which received six starred reviews, and Voices: The Final Hours of Joan of Arc, which was shortlisted for the American Library in Paris Book Award and is the recipient of the Claudia Lewis Award for poetry. A native of Ohio, David now lives (and writes) in New Hampshire with his wife and their Dandie Dinmont terrier, Quiggy. Learn more about David by visiting davidelliottbooks.com.

Leo Espinosa is an award-winning illustrator and designer from Bogotá, Colombia, whose picture books include the New York Times bestselling and Pura Belpré Honor Book Islandborn by Pulitzer Prize winner Junot Díaz, Goldfish on Vacation by Sally Lloyd-Jones, and Jackrabbit McCabe and the Electric Telegraph by Lucy Margaret Rozier. Leo lives with his family in Salt Lake City, Utah. Visit him at studioespinosa.com. 

Charles Santoso loves drawing little things in his little journal and dreams about funny, wondrous stories. He moves around between different countries to live and work. Charles is always on the lookout for bookstores and cats whenever he explores a new place. He is the illustrator of several picture books, including Ida, Always, I Will Read to You, and Dear Unicorn. You can visit him at charlessantoso.com.

Oge Mora graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in illustration. Her debut picture book, Thank You, Omu!, was a Caldecott Honor Book, a New York Times Notable Book and Editors’ Choice, and a Junior Library Guild selection. She is also the author-illustrator of Saturday as well as the illustrator of The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read. Oge lives in Providence, Rhode Island, and invites you to visit her website at ogemora.com.

Cátia Chien is a Brazilian Taiwanese painter, a public speaker, and the illustrator of celebrated picture books, including The Longest Letsgoboy, The Bear and the Moon, and A Boy and a Jaguar, recipient of the Schneider Family Book Award. Her art has been shown in galleries worldwide. She is also the founder of A Thousand Worlds, a curated picture book directory celebrating BIPOC creators. She lives with her family in the Bay Area of Northern California. Visit her at catiachien.com.