It was about a dog named Chowder and his life being a dog. His owners treated him like a person and spoiled him very much. One day they went to a store and Chowder wanted to play with the other animals because he didn't have friends. His owners took him into the store but then Chowder escaped and went to meet other animals. They played games together and included Chowder has a friend.

43 months - O picked this out at the bookstore as one of her Christmas presents. Don't we all get a little weird and enthusiastic about our pets. A pretty wacky story. My only disappointment is the illustrations... not a huge fan of computer assisted illustrations. ( )

I loved this book for several reasons. Chowder is considered weird because he doesn’t do what normal dogs do. He likes playing on the computer, listening to music and looking through his telescope. None of the neighborhood dogs ever want to hang out with him because they think he is odd and not how a dog is suppose to be. The text used is creative and adds silliness to the story, which explains Chowder’s personality. The text is curved and swirly, some sentences are bold, some sentences are big and it is all just random. The first page of the story has illustrations of photos of Chowder hanging all over his owner’s wall and even his paw prints are framed, showing his importance to his owners. In every illustration, Chowder’s tongue is hanging out, even when his mouth is closed. The illustrations help add to my understanding of the character. One illustration even shows Chowder sitting on the toilet like a normal human being would do and not a dog. This enhances the plot of the story since they want to depict Chowder as a weird dog. A narrator tells the story, but I think the story could have been better if Chowder himself was telling it. They already make Chowder seem human like with all the activities he does and how close he is to his owners, so having him tell the story would of made more sense. Others who feel like they cant make friends because they are different probably would of related better to the story if Chowder was telling it in first person. By the end of the story, Chowder becomes friends with animals at a petting zoo because they appreciate his quirky personality. The big message is that being different isn’t a bad thing and doesn’t mean you have to be alone. You just have to find people who appreciate you as you are and still except you that way. ( )

Somehow, I had never realized Peter Brown has actually been around for a while. The first of his books I encountered was The Curious Garden. Pleasant, with enjoyable pictures, but we didn't get it for our library. Really, do we need any more New York books? No.

So, when I discovered he had some previous books I thought I'd take a look, starting with the Chowder stories. In the first story, Chowder is an unusual bulldog who doesn't fit in with the other dogs, no matter how much he tries. However, he finally discovers some friends who appreciate his unique view of life.

The second Chowder story is more of the same, with Chowder not feeling or acting like the other "Fabulous" dogs at dog camp. But with hard work and a bright idea, he finds his place.

I can see the appeal of these stories, the "unique child/animal who finds his/her place" is a popular and well-worn theme. Although I don't care for the style of art myself, I know some people, doubtless more educated about art than I, will appreciate the odd perspectives and lines and the clean landscapes.

Verdict: I just didn't care for them myself. I'm rather tired of the "I'm different and have to find a place for myself" theme in picturebooks and the art doesn't appeal to me. Sorry Chowder. You have lots of friends, you don't need me.

Chowder
ISBN: 0316011800; Published September 2006 by Little, Brown; Borrowed from the library

Fabulous Bouncing Chowder
ISBN: 0316011797; Published September 2007 by Little, Brown, Borrowed from the library

chowder is a funny dog and wants everything his way! this is a very funny book! ( )