Are You Blue Dog's Friend? »

George Rodrigue is the creator of Blue Dog, now an international pop icon. He maintains three galleries: one in New Orleans, Louisiana, one in Lafayette, Louisiana, and one in Carmel, California. For many years, he has visited with school groups across the United States.

Beautifully designed, and featuring a reflective mirror page at the end that brings young readers into the story, this is a one-of-a-kind glimpse at the world of Blue Dog and the appealing imagination of George Rodrigue.

A companion to the popular Why Is Blue Dog Blue?, this latest picture book celebrates friendship in all its shapes and sizes. Through a series of call-and-response questions, readers are introduced to the funny, strange, loyal, and unique qualities that make friendships come alive.

The cover features blue foil.

Children's Literature

Rodrigue introduces himself as an artist and notes that Blue Dog is "one of his favorite subjects to paint." Blue Dog is a popular character who has already starred in Why Is Blue Dog Blue? Here, the artist mentions that he also likes to paint Blue Dog's friends. He asks and answers a series of questions about these friends. As he answers, "Yes!" to each, we learn that these friends are loyal, fun, musical, and even out of this world. They are also tricksters, and they play their tricks on him most of the time. But Rodrigue often paints Blue Dog alone. This leads to his final question: "Is Blue Dog lonely is Blue Dog blue?" The answer is both fun and a surprise. Rodrigue applies his opaque oil or acrylic paints flatly, almost crudely, as he creates his canine and occasional other characters. All are depicted frontal poses with staring eyes. Backgrounds are minimal, with the exception of the fanciful rocket ship in space and Louis Armstrong's trumpet. With Elvis, Blue Dog has donned a shirt and tie; playing tricksters with his friends, the Mardi Gras costumes are extravagant. The typography is used playfully and colorfully to add visual excitement. Rodrigue's bold colors, including the shiny blue of the hero on the cover, enhance this most unusual story. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz