Book review: ‘Could I Please Have a Dog?’ and ‘My Dog Red’

Could I Please Have a Dog? by Marshall Silverman. Warren Publishing, 2021. Softcover, 46 pages.

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My Dog Red by Marshall Silverman. Warren Publishing, 2025. Softcover, 42 pages.

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Sometimes, being persistent pays off as a little boy learns in two picture books by poet Marshall Silverman.

In the first book, Could I Please Have a Dog?, the boy begs his parents for a dog after one of childhood’s multitude of bad days. Knowing the responsibility that comes with having a dog, his parents are reluctant to add a canine to the family. Still, despite the boy’s struggles, it’s a story of whimsy, dreams, and optimism.

Things are looking up for the boy in the next story, My Dog Red. But when Red joins the household, all manner of reality checks make the boy realize that caring for a dog can be a lot of work — yet so worth it.

All’s well that ends well, though, in these wonderfully funny books full of rhyme and laughter for children ages 4 to 8.

Are you the author or publisher of a book about animals that you would like considered for review? Please send the details to editor@bestfriends.org.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.