The text of this story begs to be read aloud. I think I'll read it to my kindergarteners this week and see what they think. The retro artwork doesn't particularly grab me, but it's consistent and doesn't detract from the story. It's a nice story about chosen families, identity, and gender roles. I don't find it as problematic in that regard as some other readers. To me, the resolution of the families teaching each other to be tough and tender is enough to offset the boys-are-tough and girls-are-tender beginning, which I didn't think was particularly heavy-handed. ( )

A proper bulldog raised in a poodle family and a tough poodle raised in a bulldog family meet one day in the park.

This is a good book to teach that diversity is a good thing! Looks don't add up to much. I would use this for a read aloud for a younger grade. ( )

Gaston is about a bulldog puppy in a family of poodles. He is taught to be proper, to yip instead of yap, to never run, ect. Antoniette is a poodle in a family of bulldogs. She is taught to be rough and tough. To yap instead of yip, and always run. The two families meet in the park and realized there had been a mixup so Gaston and Antoniette switch places. However, the two aren't happy in their new homes. They miss their families, and want to behave like the normally do. The next day, the two families met up again and Gaston and Antoniette went back to their original homes.

I would use this book with grades K through 2nd. Some of the things you could teach with this book is family, individuality, differences, and comparing and contrasting. ( )

This book is about the importance of being different.