That's Not My Puppy...
Same one-sentence frame as the rest of the series, but the textures are the ones a toddler already has an opinion about—a squashy nose, a fluffy tummy, a rough tongue—so they go hunting for the patch before you turn the page.
That's Not My Puppy... by Fiona Watt is estimated to take about 3.5 minutes to read aloud (90 words, about 1 sentence a page), and it lands best with children aged 0-3.
- Estimated read-aloud time
- about 3.5 minutesEstimated read-aloud time
- Estimated word count
- 90Our estimate
- Sentences per page
- 1Sentence per page
- Re-read tolerance
- 4/5repeat friendly
- Vocabulary level
- 2/5everyday words
- Best for
- Ages 0-3Our editorial fit
Our review
This touch-and-feel book uses a repetitive sentence structure to guide children through various textures. The tactile elements are focused on recognizable parts of a puppy, like a nose or tummy, to encourage sensory exploration.
It is well-suited for toddlers who enjoy investigating new sensations. The predictable format allows children to anticipate what comes next, making it an engaging sensory experience.
Before you buy it
The texture patches are small; a baby under one needs your finger placed on them. Several editions circulate—buy the board one.
Themes
- textures
- dogs
- adjectives
- first books
Books like That's Not My Puppy...
Matched by refrain, density, length, and listener—not just the subject.
That's Not My Dinosaur...about 3.5 minutes estimated · 4/5 re-read
That's Not My Truck...about 3.5 minutes estimated · 4/5 re-read
That's Not My Unicorn...about 3.5 minutes estimated · 4/5 re-read
Pat the Bunnyabout 3.5 minutes estimated · 4/5 re-read
Baby Touch and Feel: Animalsabout 3 minutes estimated · 4/5 re-read
Questions parents ask
How long does it take to read That's Not My Puppy... aloud?
About 3.5 minutes at an unhurried pace, including a standard allowance for page turns, pictures and participation, from a word count of 90. Stopping for a longer conversation on every page will add more time.
What age is That's Not My Puppy... actually for?
Ages 0-3 in our testing, which is narrower than the publisher's range. With 1 sentence a page and vocabulary at 2 out of 5, it asks for that much attention span and no more.
Does That's Not My Puppy... survive being read on repeat?
Yes. It survives a fortnight of nightly repeats, which is the real test.
Is That's Not My Puppy... a good book for a child who will not sit still?
It helps that it has a refrain a child can join in with, and it asks the child questions to answer out loud. Those three features are what keep a wriggling toddler listening, far more than the subject matter does.
Will my child memorise That's Not My Puppy...?
Probably, and fast. The book leans on a repeated refrain, and at 4 out of 5 for re-read tolerance it survives the nightly repeats that get a book memorised. Expect your child to chant the pattern back before they can actually read.
Can a beginning reader read That's Not My Puppy... on their own?
It is closer than most picture books. With 1 sentence a page and plain vocabulary (2 out of 5), a confident early reader can attempt it, though it is written to be read aloud first.
Is That's Not My Puppy... part of a series?
Yes, it belongs to the That's Not My series. It stands on its own, so you can start here without reading the others in order, then move to the rest if it lands.
What themes does That's Not My Puppy... cover?
We tag it with textures, dogs, adjectives and first books. Those are the threads that actually run through the book, not just the ones on the cover, which is how it earns its place on our themed lists rather than a keyword match.
