Rudy (a dog), is the narrator of this volume in the Science Comics series. He tells us that he is a "canardly" - you can 'ardly tell what breed. While at the local dog park, Rudy chases his favorite ball into the past. He explains to readers how dogs evolved from wild predators to tame companions and protectors (and also looks for his lost ball). His explanation covers topics like Linnaeus, Mendel, Darwin, Punnett squares, DNA, nature and nurture, the gene pool, and pretty much anything else that affects the adaptation of a species over time. Rudy gives examples of how a dog's senses work; the difference in what colors they can see compared to human eyesight, the way they can detect odors that are only 1 or 2 parts per trillion, or how far their hearing range extends. Breeds, dog shows, pedigrees, vocal communication and body language are all a part of Rudy's explanations. One fun fact he shares is that dogs and humans are two species that both continue to play even after they reach adult age.

This series follows in the tradition of the Magic School Bus and the Max Axiom books by sharing science concepts through a graphic format. In this case, the comic style illustrations display the different time periods Rudy visits as he traces the evolution of dogs, and readers can also see his determination to retrieve his ball. There are plenty of facts, and also helpful features such as a glossary, a list of books for further reading. One last appearance by Rudy is similar to the bonus scenes that show up during a movie's end credits. He urges readers to consider pet adoption and find a companion to take into their home. This book is an excellent introduction to the history of domesticated dogs, and offers enough basic facts to give readers a good place to start researching the topic more deeply on their own.

Although I would recommend this book to a student who loves science, I do not think the average fourth grader would be able to easily read and comprehend this book. Older students, especially reluctant readers, may find these mind boggling science concepts easier to grasp when given in this lively, colorful, graphic format.

Science Comics are great. The engaging content and presentation make them sure hits with reluctant readers.

The adorable artwork pairs well with the interesting information for an amazing, accessible book for lovers of all things dog. Readers of all ages will learn fun new facts, and some very complex ideas are presented in a way that makes them easy to understand without oversimplifying. The book appeals to reluctant readers -- and reluctant scientists as well.

I was very excited to see another installation in the Comic Science series, as the first several have circulated very well in my school library.

This title seems to be a bit more complex than the previous entries, and while very informative, is more densely packed with the hows and whys of selective dog breeding that I was expecting. The first third to half of the book covers recessive and dominant traits and Punnett squares to a depth that way exceeds what my elementary school kids will be looking for in a book about dogs. Indeed, this is a great visual depiction of Mendel's Laws of Dominance that AP Biology students who are visual learners will gain a lot from. If my elementary students stick with the text past that point, I think that the second half of the book will be more to their liking, covering things like how dogs communicate, how their senses differ from those of a human and so on.

I like this series very much, with its clear pictures and straightforward explanations, it just seems that this title may be suitable for a bit older audience than previous installments.

Absolutely brilliant - a great book for anyone who is a fan of science, dogs, comics, or all three. If you have a dog, or want a dog, or just like dogs, then this comic is a fantastic resource: all sorts of useful information about dog genetics, dog history, dog behavior.... all presented in a fun and accessible manner. Some rather complex scientific concepts are presented very clearly, so if you want a refresher on Mendelian inheritance and how dog eyes process color, then this is definitely the book for you. Would definitely do well in a middle-grade or young adult nonfiction collection.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go cuddle my dog.

Science Comics: Dogs From Predator to Protector by Andy Hirsch is an interesting book full of scientific information about dogs with great illustrations. This book is a fun way to describe the process of evolution using dogs. The graphics are fun as well as informative.

This book is about a dog named Rudy, who is a pet dog who visits the local dog park. Once at the dog park, he tries to play with his yellow ball. This ends up taking the reader through a history of canis lupus to canis familiaris. The allows the reader to meet several different breeds of dogs and learn how they came to be using genetics, evolution and adaptations. There is a lot of scientific detail and scientific vocabulary that is explained in the story as well as in the extensive glossary at the end of the book.

I received this ARC from First Second Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

While I had great hope that this book could be the magical answer to non-fiction for kids who love the graphic format, I was very disappointed. There was way too much information packed into the text bubbles and when my very able-reader 10 year old son attempted to read it he came to me and said he couldn't because it was way too confusing.

My son, the self-proclaimed dog expert, loved this book. He said he learned a few things he didn't already know! I like the graphic novel approach to topics that attracts more kids to read.

I'd give it 3.5 actually- mainly because it's hard to categorize properly. There are all these cutesy bits with happy slobbery puppies who are our 'guides' that would appeal to younger readers but then the content is very heavily fact and science based which is great but I think will be too hard for the kids lured in by the cute factor... so I'm not sure how to position this.
The facts are well presented, the illustrations are good. I learnt quite a bit about dogs and it dispelled some common myths.
I will buy a set for the library, and I'll be interested to see who reads them?

Very interesting book with lots of scientific information. Graphic books are so popular these days. I think non-fiction graphic books are a great way to keep a student's attention to information they may otherwise have trouble focusing on. Not sure of the age level for this book.... in our school district, genetics is touched on in 8th grade and studied in more detail in 9th grade. This could be a good companion book to that material for visual learners. Especially ones that are interested in dogs. I, myself, learned a lot of interesting information reading this book. I hope that non-fiction graphic becomes more available in the future.

Science graphic novels are a great combination. Throw in a book about one of the most beloved pets and you have a winner.

A delightful journey through the evolution of dogs from wild to purebred. I am quite the dog fan but I still learned some cool tidbits to share. A few pages get bogged down in some complex science, but they don't detract much from a fast-paced, fun, enjoyable read.

This is not just a graphic novel. Science comics are full of interesting information, detailed illustrations, use of topic and more. This particular one teaches about genetics, adaptations, breeding and evolution particularly with dogs.

In this book we meet Rudy, a pet dog who visits the local dog park. Once there, he tries to play with his yellow ball. This ends up taking the reader through a history of canis lupus to canis familiaris. We meet several different breeds of dogs and how they came to be using genetics, evolution and adaptations. There is a lot of scientific detail within these pages. There is a lot of scientific vocabulary that is explained in the story as well as in the extensive glossary at the end of the book. This book is geared to older children, I would suggest 10 and up. It is a fun way to describe the process of evolution using dogs. The graphics are fun as well as informative.

This would be a great book to use when teaching about genetics, evolution, adaptations, natural selection, and breading. It should be in all libraries, school and public. It is a great resource to teach these topics in a fun way.

This nonfiction graphic novel (which are one of my favorite things right now) is great way to let kids to learn about dogs and their long history of coexistence with humans. Science Comics: Dogs also provides a great introduction to genetics and evolution, includes related history, and tells a fun story through all of this.