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Why Is Blue Dog Blue?



Last updated Sunday, August 6, 2017

Author: George Rodrigue and Bruce Goldstone
Date of Publication: 2002
ISBN: 1584791624
Grade Level: 1st    (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Aug. 2017

Synopsis: From Booklist: Cajun artist George Rodrigue first painted his distinctive, blueberry-colored pooch in 1984. Since then, Blue Dog has become a pop icon, the subject of several books by the author and many canvasses loved by both celebrities and the story-hour set, the audience for this picture book. Here, Rodrigue answers the title question by explaining that Blue Dog's color depends on what the artist is doing: when Rodrigue goes fishing, he paints the dog a salmon color; when Rodrigue wants a hot dog, he paints the dog mustard yellow, and so on.

Note to readers:
•  You might want to read the biography about the author and artist George Rodrigue at the end of the book.

Discussion topics for before reading:
•  Why do you think Blue Dog is blue?
•  What is your favorite color?
•  Can you find blue items in the classroom?

Vocabulary

•  salmon - 1.a large edible fish that is a popular game fish, much prized for its pink flesh. Salmon mature in the sea but migrate to freshwater streams to spawn. 2. a pale pinkish orange color.
•  swamp - an area of low-lying, uncultivated ground where water collects; a bog or marsh.
•  moss- a small flowerless green plant that lacks true roots, growing in low carpets or rounded cushions in damp habitats and reproducing by means of spores released from stalked capsules: "the trees are overgrown with vines and moss"
•  loup garou - [loo-ga-roo; English loo-guh-rooz]. French. a werewolf

Discussion topics for during/after reading:
•  What other colors does the artist George paint Blue Dog?
•  What are the colors of a rainbow? (ROYGBIV - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet)
•  What is your favorite color and why?

Craft ideas:
•  Draw an outline of a big dog (or cat) and color it a bright color, or many colors of the rainbow. Draw & color a background.
•  Check our craft ideas for August on Pinterest!
https://www.pinterest.com/readingtokids/august-2017-arts-entertainment/

*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions. You can use them, but you don't have to use them. You can expand upon them, or add your own twist. Remember, though, that the focus of your time should not be on the development and execution of a craft; the focus should be on the read-aloud and the enjoyment of the book!