Please Take Me for a Walk is a celebration of dogs and kids and community.
The book stars a very persuasive pup pleading with his best friend—the reader!—to take him for a walk. He recounts all the fun things they can see and do: chase squirrels in the yard, greet neighbors on their block, visit the shopkeepers downtown, swing by the schoolyard, and then run and play in the park. The dog run at the park is filled with all kinds of amazing purebreds and mutts, and our puppy wants them all to see "my best friend and me."
Susan Gal uses this story of a dog's best walk ever to catalog all the favorite places in a child's world. She starts in the house and the yard, then widens her scope to the block, the neighborhood, downtown, and the park. And she captures the magical way the people of a community can be brought together through their pets.
The dog's enthusiastic voice and eagerness to go out walking will resonate with any dog owner. And Susan Gal's artwork is so enticing and adorable it will have even confirmed cat lovers heading for the pound!
Happy walking, everyone!
Susan Gal began her illustration career as a poster and calendar artist. She then worked as an "actor with a pencil" for Disney Animation Florida before returning to her native California to create lively and whimsical illustrations.
Susan Gal's first picture book was Night Lights, which also featured a great dog character. But the inspiration for this book was Susan's own best friend, the Boston terrier Wanda Woo.
Susan lives in Berkeley, California, with her husband, her daughter, and assorted studio pets. You can read more about her work at galgirlstudio.com.