As a dog lover, I really loved this book. I was so sad for Jake because he was so misunderstood, but was happy when he found a friend to help him. This book teaches the lesson of being kind to yourself and others and includes some information about kindness at the end, which I really loved. My 5 year old also enjoyed the book!

Most children love dogs which made this book about being kind to others more fun. It can be difficult to make friends when others find you unapproachable. This would be an excellent book to read to shy kids helping them understand how to make friends. Something as simple as smiling instead of growling (looking mean) can make all the difference.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Beautiful illustrations like little paintings and a story about acceptance. I loved the rhyming :).

Jake is a misunderstood dog with a unique trait.

As soon as others are kind to him, take the time to get to know him and accept him, he can be a happy dog again with lots of friends to play with!

This teaches kids to be kind, to accept others who are different and that it’s okay to be different.

Thank you, NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing me with this beautiful children's book. The illustrations are beautiful, and the story is great. It teaches children to be kind but I think adults also need to learn about this thing since Jake's uniqueness is very often misunderstood. We need to be more caring and kind to not judge people by their outlook or the way they act and talk. I love this book so much! A great start to my day.

Children’s picture book about first impressions not always being true and being kind about others unique ways of expressing themselves. Nice story, although the text isn’t the easiest to follow. Some adult help might be needed. But the artwork expresses the story perfectly, so helps counter this. Behind the story is a useful way to have a discussion with children about how we view ourselves, and how others might view differently the way we interact. Some nice activities at the end to help with this discussion. Thank you to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

I enjoyed this book and my mum and dad’s dog Abby is just like Jake!
She does growl quite a bit and she is the only dog we have known that does it so much.
She growls when you stroke her, eats her dinner, growls when she is happy and wagging her tail and really excited so this was a great book to talk to my daughter about why Abby does it, and that she does it too when she is happy.
The illustrations were nice and clear too and they really suited the book.
It is 3.5 stars from me for this one, rounded up to 4 stars for Amazon and Goodreads – highly recommended!

I read this with my daughter. She picked it because her daddy’s name is Jake! The more I looked at the illustrations, the dog also kind of looks like our dog.

This book’s main purpose is its message. Jake is a dog that growls all the time, not because he is angry, just because that’s how he is! Even when he’s happy he lets out a growl. Growling is Jake’s form of communication. Because Jake growls, he is misunderstood. Everyone thinks he is a mean dog. In reality, Jake wants friends and he wants to play.

This taught the message that everyone is different and has their own quirks. Jake just expresses himself differently than everyone else, just as we as humans have our own quirks that others might misinterpret. My daughter and I throughly enjoyed Jake’s story and will be purchasing this book for our home collection! Thank you for allowing us to read this one.

Jake the Growling Dog by Samantha Shannon is a cute and wholesome read about the importance of understanding that everyone is different, and that being kind and accepting can change someone’s life. It features cute illustrations by Kerrie Joyce, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it!

The book even features “Jake’s Loving-Kindness” activity about practicing mindfulness, which I’m a huge advocate for within schools. Overall, this was a very quick and simple read with a thoughtful extension activity that can be facilitated in a classroom or within the family!

Thank you, NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and Samantha Shannon for this ARC of Jake the Growling Dog.

It was a very heartwarming book on how we can teach children about differences and how differences could be easily misunderstood. I love the art style and the color palette!!!
I think it would be perfect if there are more activities or practices for the kids. but overall it was very enjoyable~

I have actually read this book to my daughter MULTIPLE times and she loves it! (it helps her dad is named Jake, lol!). It's a great book to understand both sides - sometimes you are misunderstood based off your mannerisms but you should also see it from others points of view! The pictures are beautifully illustrated, as well!

Jake is a misunderstood dog who needs love and understanding! I love this story and the message that it brings! This book should be on every shelf!

This wonderful book brought tears to my eyes! Such a wonderful story, with a great moral of everyone being different and that makes us unique, but sometimes what makes us different is misunderstood by those around us. I teach social skills, and will be buying this book to use for perspective taking and interpersonal effectiveness skills!
The illustrations were also fantastic; Jake is such a friendly and playful looking dog! I enjoyed all the figurative throughout the book, it's never to young to start using. I also adored that Jake the Growling dog lives in the PWN!

A sweet story about a misunderstood dog. It shows kids that a little kindness can make a big difference in someone's life.

Grrr is the sound of Joy for Jake.

Grrr is Jake the dog’s happy talk. Unfortunately, the other animals view it as anything but happy. Jake finds that he is often alone when he grrr. A black squirrel helps Jake realize that his grrr is misunderstood and he is fine as he is.

Helping kids accept differences is often the start of friendships. Jake’s grrr is unique in that it means happiness rather than mean. Samantha Shannon’s charming book on Jake’s grrr is an excellent book on kindness and uniqueness. The illustrations are well done. I highly recommend this book for helping youngsters learn to be the best you that you can be.

Jake the growling dog by Samantha Shannon is a beautifully illustrated journey. Jake is the type of book that you would like to read to your family or classroom so that you could have a great conversations about a wide variety of subjects. You can tell that the author and illustrator put a lot of heart into this book I think children would benefit by going on this journey with Jake.

This is a sweet children’s book about a dog, there’s lots of words and occasional rhymes. It’s easy to follow along and the illustrations are fun

Great message and very engaging. Yes I would recommend this cute little book about not judging a book by its cover when it comes to people.

We have fallen in love with this delightful children's book centered around Jake, an endearing dog whose constant growls, meant to express happiness and excitement, inadvertently create a barrier between him and the other animals. Mistakenly perceived as always angry, Jake plays alone until a chance encounter with a sympathetic squirrel, Neet changes everything.

In the quest to help Jake make friends, Neet introduces him to the various animals, unveiling the true nature of his joyful growls. The story reaches its heartwarming peak when Jake, overwhelmed by the joy of newfound friendships, lets out his biggest and loudest growl, expecting the worst. To his surprise, his friends not only stay but join in the laughter.

What sets this book apart is its incorporation of guided activities that promote kindness and gratitude, making it a valuable resource for parents looking to instill important values in their children. The use of verse adds an extra layer of enjoyment, making it a perfect choice for read-aloud sessions.

In our household, the book has become a favorite, especially for our 5-year-old non-verbal autistic son, who affectionately refers to it as the "grrr" book. Its profound impact extends beyond enjoyment; it has served as a valuable tool in explaining to our other children that differences, like those exhibited by their brother, don't diminish love and connection. Understanding requires effort, just as Jake's friends learned to appreciate his unique way of expressing happiness.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to any parent navigating the challenges of a child who may not fit in conventionally. It beautifully encourages tolerance, fosters friendship, promotes understanding, and emphasizes the importance of gratitude and kindness. The powerful message of acceptance resonates profoundly, making it an invaluable addition to any children's bookshelf.

I loved the message in this book, that everyone is unique and the importance of being kind and grateful, I especially loved the loving - kindness activity at the end of the book. Also the artwork is beautiful and colourful.

I have a dog who is often misunderstood too.

The cover and title of this book drew me in right away, as I have a leash reactive dog and people often mistake his bark for aggression. Just like the other critters in the book mistake Jake's growl for something mean and scary.

This book was incredibly sweet and the messages of kindness and gratefulness were artfully woven throughout not only the book but also into the activity at the end. The rhyming lines flowed nicely and the style of and movement portrayed in the art matched the story perfectly.

A sweet book with an important message that would fit on any child's shelf.

One of two rhymed narratives from this author I've had the chance to sample, and one that is able to present itself rather nicely without jumping on for full-on wokeness. Here, nobody seems to get on well with the kind-hearted mutt Jake, as all he does is accompanied by a growl, even when he's trying to spread love or thanks. There he is on his own front cover – growling, and nobody vocalises on his own front cover. But when a squirrel sees through the socially awkward noise, she is able to prove to the rest of the forest critters that Jake is perfectly friendly and well-intentioned. So the message comes from the squirrel's easy acceptance of the difference in Jake, and the recommendation that Jake doesn't have to change, as his behaviour is spot on, even when it sounds like it isn't. It's a message that's accompanied by something something mindfulness and tips for adults using this, but more importantly it's a message coming from strong rhyming couplets (bar one verse) and very decent artwork.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own opinions.

A wonder lesson in love and acceptance brought to us by the sweetest pup and his friends. I loved the mindfulness exercise as well,

Jake the Growling Dog is misunderstood. He just wants to make friends but his behaviours and the interpretation of said behaviour makes it difficult for him. Until one day, someone gives him a chance. This is a great story about friendship and how sometimes we can label those around us without actually knowing who they are or why they do what they do. Highly recommend!

Absolutely gorgeous book that promotes inclusivity and tolerance to younger children. The illustrations were sublime and complimented the storyline perfectly. Everyone could learn something from Jake the Growling Dog!

Such a sweet story of being accepting of others despite their differences.
I love children's stories that are written in rhyme as it makes it so much easier for my young daughters to read along.

We love anything about dogs in our household, but this story stood out because it required Jake's friends to look a little bit beneath the surface to see that his growl didn't define him.

We need more goodness like this in our world, and a bit of understanding <3

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kids books usually make me feel warm and fuzzy and working in youth services at a library really allows me to explore new kids books.