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Rating: 
Summary: Quite a surprise!
Review: I went to the library with my 4 year old son and just grabbed the book. We have read Pinkerton stories and have always loved them and I didn't even look through the book or even much at the cover until that night when we settled in for night time stories. I then realized that there was a "robber" with a gun on the cover. I thought to myself, "How did I not see this before?" and by then it was too late. My son saw it and had a zillion questions so we read it. I was shocked by the content! We are very open with our son about anything he asks and I explained that yes, there are "robbers" and yes, people do get into dangerous situations like that. I felt very uncomfortable having to almost outright lie to him and tell him that, "No, noone will break into our house because we lock our doors, etc..." How else do you explain this to a 4 yo at bedtime?! We got through it and son loved the book. I thought it was very cute that Pinkerton was confused but could have done without the break in part. I feel it could have been as cute without that. Very irresponsible in a child's book, but I guess I learned a lesson to read the books before we check them out even when they are written by someone you consider "safe".
Rating: 
Summary: Classic example of not judging a book by its cover
Review: It's unfair to give this book a bad rating just because it may be a little mature for a childrens' picture book. I first read this story a couple of years ago (I was 27) while browsing through the library. By the time I had finished with the same surprise ending that has everyone in an uproar, I was in tears. The whole point of the story is that Pinkerton's misbehaving turns out to be serendipitous in the end. Anyone who has ever owned a large-breed dog (particularly a Great Dane) will agree that it's often very difficult and tedious trying to break them of their inherently energetic nature and train them to not be destructive and hyperactive. Those condemning this book for the way it turns out are completely missing the point. It's a twist of irony that leads to the happy ending--the bad habits that Pinkerton's owners had been trying to break him of are what keep them from being harmed by the robbery. They end up praising him for his inability to learn commands because it saves their lives. That's how great stories are written. So, all of you namby-pamby moms out there who think this is such a "terrible" book because of its "violent" content need to settle down. It's ignorant of you to dismiss this title on the grounds that it's inappropriate for childen. As parents, it's up to you to determine your child's rate of development and decide for each one when is the proper time for them to experience a story like this. If any of you have a problem reading this to your kids, then it's your own fault for not skimming it before selecting it, not the author's or publisher's. It takes all of three minutes for an adult to read this book, so I would think that you would invest that time if you suspect a story this "intense" is too advanced for your children. Great book! Excellent story for any dog lover. I bought it and I don't even have kids. I agree that it's not for all children, but that's a subjective opinion that can't be evaluated by a book review on a website.
Rating:
Summary: Classic example of not judging a book by its cover
Review: It's unfair to give this book a bad rating just because it may be a little mature for a childrens' picture book. I first read this story a couple of years ago (I was 27) while browsing through the library. By the time I had finished with the same surprise ending that has everyone in an uproar, I was in tears. The whole point of the story is that Pinkerton's misbehaving turns out to be serendipitous in the end. Anyone who has ever owned a large-breed dog (particularly a Great Dane) will agree that it's often very difficult and tedious trying to break them of their inherently energetic nature and train them to not be destructive and hyperactive. Those condemning this book for the way it turns out are completely missing the point. It's a twist of irony that leads to the happy ending--the bad habits that Pinkerton's owners had been trying to break him of are what keep them from being harmed by the robbery. They end up praising him for his inability to learn commands because it saves their lives. That's how great stories are written. So, all of you namby-pamby moms out there who think this is such a "terrible" book because of its "violent" content need to settle down. It's ignorant of you to dismiss this title on the grounds that it's inappropriate for childen. As parents, it's up to you to determine your child's rate of development and decide for each one when is the proper time for them to experience a story like this. If any of you have a problem reading this to your kids, then it's your own fault for not skimming it before selecting it, not the author's or publisher's. It takes all of three minutes for an adult to read this book, so I would think that you would invest that time if you suspect a story this "intense" is too advanced for your children. Great book! Excellent story for any dog lover. I bought it and I don't even have kids. I agree that it's not for all children, but that's a subjective opinion that can't be evaluated by a book review on a website.
Rating: 
Summary: Kellogg, Think!
Review: My four-year-old daughter was subjected to this travesty of a children's book in preschool. Ever since, she has awakened nightly at 3 a.m., tears streaming down her face, worried about burglars coming through her window. I'm not "squeamish" or a "namby-pamby" as suggested by other condescending reviewers of this book. But I do value my sleep. If you value yours, pass this one up. There are many other good children's books out there.
Rating:
Summary: Mom held at gunpoint in a picture book? Scary!
Review: My kids love dogs and stories involving dogs, and the other Pinkerton books are no exception. "Pinkerton, Behave!", however, features a burglar creeping into Mom's bedroom at night and holding her at gunpoint! Pinkerton coming to the rescue notwithstanding, this is much too frightening for my children. I would argue that such visuals are inappropriate for children of picture-book age, period. The fun and humorous elements of the plot could easily have been acheived without portraying such creepy and violent image, and I am disappointed in the author as well as the publishing house for their choices in creating this book.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Hide Your Kids From Real-Life Situations!
Review: This book has been my favorite for three decades. I wasn't traumatized by the break-in at the end. We had a Great Dane at the time- this book made me love our dog even more, and know that she would keep us safe. I have read this book to my kids and all of my neices and nephews and never had an issue. I recommend this book for anyone who LOVES dogs. This is not for squemish (cat-loving) Mom's who want to hide their kids from real life....
Rating:
Summary: Don't Hide Your Kids From Real-Life Situations!
Review: This book has been my favorite for three decades. I wasn't traumatized by the break-in at the end. We had a Great Dane at the time- this book made me love our dog even more, and know that she would keep us safe. I have read this book to my kids and all of my neices and nephews and never had an issue. I recommend this book for anyone who LOVES dogs. This is not for squemish (cat-loving) Mom's who want to hide their kids from real life....
Rating:
Summary: Won't Pinkerton ever learn!
Review: This is a book about Pinkerton...a fun-loving great dane pup that does things his own way. He's fun, he's happy, he's huge, and he doesn't seem to be able to learn a thing. When he's sent to obedience school he helps the other dogs unlearn everything they've learned, and he gets kicked out! (Hope they got their money back.)But when it's crunch time, Pinkerton's owner knows what to do to help the family. Join the fun by reading this wonderful book. I read this book LOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG before I had any children of my own...now it's a favorite of the whole family. 5 stars all the way for Steven Kellogg's "Pinkerton, Behave!" It has a great storyline, wonderful illustrations, and is a good time for all. This is the book that made me a Steven Kellogg fan way back when. I urge you to give it a try. You's love it (so will your children)! Alan Holyoak
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