I'm not sure what to make of the The First Dog by Jan Brett (1988). A publisher’s note states that between 35,000 and 12,000 years ago: “… It may have been during this period that the first wild animals were domesticated. Jan Brett has created an appealing story from this possibility…” Perhaps I can assume that Jan Brett did her homework and learned about animals of the Pleistocene period. References to cave paintings and fossils decorate the borders, consistent with her style of illustration.
The main human character, Kip, appears to be a white boy dressed in animal skins who is clean and in good health. The text feels somewhat static, the scenes repetitive. A wolf’s keen senses of smell, hearing, and sight serve to save the child from animal predators. Consequently, at the end of the story, Kip makes a deal -- “‘Wolfy, if you will use your keen nose and your fine ears and your sharp eyes to keep me from being eaten up, I promise to share with you all the woolly rhino ribs and even mammoth meat that I cook over my fire.’” Kip names his new companion Dog.
As always, Jan Brett wows us with her meticulously beautiful illustrations.
