The Sailor Dog

So I play a LOT of Words With Friends®.  [For those of you who don't know, it's an iPhone form of Scrabble®.]  I never really played too much of this type of game growing up, but it's format is perfectly suited for people who have a lot of free time on their hands in 1-minute chunks; like a stay-at-home dad, for instance.  And of all my adversaries in this game, no one is tougher than Rachela**9.  It comes as no surprise that I respect her opinion on anything having to do with words.  So, when she suggested I review this book, I darted over to the library to pick it up.  

THREE PROS

*The Sailor Dog, named Scuppers, is a pup that knows what he wants, goes after it, hits rock bottom (literally), and, like Chumbawamba, gets back up again, then tops it all off with a song

*Thankfully, his pants are the only article of clothing that remain intact after his big incident -- since nobody wants to see his little rusty scupper (editor's note: do not check out how Urban Dictionary defines this term)

*I already told you that Rachel A likes it, so what more do you need to know:)

THREE CONS 

*Margaret Wise Brown is just not my cup of tea -- her phrasing is weird in places and her mixing of verb tenses is inexcusable

*When he initially finds his dream boat, a harbormaster barks "all aboard" (among other things), making you think he will be part of a crew, yet he is the only being on board -- first, why would the harbormaster do this if only one living soul (who he hasn't even met at that point) will be going on the voyage and, secondly, where do I go to get a free boat

*Once again, we have a seal of approval placed on the cover, but this one is the most bogus ever since it is a "Golden Favorite" emblem given by by publisher Golden Books -- are you kidding me

ONE DAD'S OPINION

"We can agree to disagree" is one of my favorite sayings.  It's one of the more common ways of expressing disdain for someone's opinion while remaining civil.  And I'm all about civility -- mainly because I don't think I would last long in a more primitive culture. I'm not good with my hands, I'm a terrible hunter and gatherer, and I would probably lose more fights than I'd win.  Basically, I don't think I'd make it over a month as an adult in any era before the 20th Century.  So, Scrabble pal, please don't hate me for saying this, but I did not like the book you recommended.  If I had to compare it to one odor in nature, I'm thinking it would be that of a wet canine.  Musty and bothersome, but not completely intolerable. And for some people, a smell they can actually love.  Just not me.

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