Promotional Information

A wonderfully witty and original wordless story from a major new picture book talent - the perfect present for dog-lovers, style-hounds and faithful friends of all ages

About the Author

Domenica More Gordon is an artist whose wonderful felted dogs have found fame worldwide, with customers including Brad Pitt. She is married to the author and screenwriter Charlie Fletcher, and lives in Musselburgh, just outside Edinburgh. http://www.domenicamoregordon.com/

Reviews

Rarely does a debut so justly and eloquently lay down its claim to be a classic; Archie is a comic masterpiece. Gloriously understated and beautifully drawn, it wins on every score
*Alexander Armstrong (Armstrong and Miller)*

Witty, fantastical, totally loveable with a very loyal ending
*Clarissa Dickson Wright*

Woof! Woof! We are smitten
*www.vogue.com*

Savour every page of this utterly charming book
*Country Life*

Archie . . . was clearly designed for reading pleasure . . . Gordon’s fine watercolors capture the various dogs’ personalities and styles with aplomb.
*The New York Times*

Gordon, a Scottish artist whose uncannily lifelike felted dogs have attracted gallery showings and celebrity attention, makes her picture book debut with an all-dog cast and a story about creativity and growing fame. Archie, a well-dressed dog, receives a sewing machine as a gift. He takes to it immediately, creating smart outfits for his own pet dog, his friends' dogs, and his friends. His phone is ringing off the hook by book's end-the final call comes from a canine monarch with a crown, handbag, and pet corgi. Although Gordon is a newcomer to the form, her visual storytelling is already marvelously accomplished. Her line, pacing, and judicious use of empty space seem long-practiced, and her hand-lettered sound effects-the only text in the story-evoke smiles ("pom pom pom de pom," Archie hums casually as he takes his dog out in his new coat; "ohhh" says a pug on the street, aching with envy). Even without the success Archie finds, his life as a clothing designer living alone with his dog is a winning premise; it's a distinctively British pairing, somewhere between Jeeves and Wooster and Wallace and Gromit. Ages 3-6. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

PreS-Gr 2-This nearly wordless story with an all-canine cast is picture-reading at its best. When Archie receives a sewing machine from his Great Aunt Betty, he creates a simple garment for his dog. The simple coat garners a request from another owner. That, in turn, brings more requests. Before long the telephone is constantly ringing. Archie's designs are in demand. They become more elaborate, one-of-a-kind, carefully matched to the owner and dog. Business is so good that Archie begins thinking about a vacation. His planning is interrupted by yet one more phone call. Archie's fame has spread to Britain's most royal dog owner! The watercolor illustrations are outlined with pen and ink and set against clean white backgrounds that let Archie and his creations shine. Each dog, owner and pet, is individual, and there's no way to misidentify the Queen and her Corgi. These cartoon-style paintings read easily and are highlighted by onomatopoeic words. Dog lovers and fashionistas will be delighted.-Carolyn Janssen, Children's Learning Center of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.