There are some books and characters, just as there are some people, that are just plain nice. Such is the case with Carl in Alexandra Day's series about a Rottweiler named Carl.
Alexandra Day is the nom de plume of Sandra Darling nee Woodward, born into a large and artistic family in Cincinnati, Ohio on September 7th, 1941. Her grandfather was an architect, her father was a painter and her mother a homemaker. The house was filled, not only with books but also with art supplies of one sort or another and all the girls were encouraged to create. For four years during her childhood, Day and her family lived on a large farm in Kentucky. In addition to being in the country and close to horses (which she loved riding and training), it was also where Day owned her first dog; dog ownership being a near constant in her later life.
Day took her degree in English at Swarthmore College in Philadelphia. Subsequent to obtaining her degree, Day then lived in New York for a period, teaching and also studying drawing at the Art Students' League. On a trip to California in the mid-sixties, Day met Harold Darling, a bookstore and cinema owner.
Alexandra Day and Harold Darling were wed in 1967. Previously married, Harold Darling already had three children. Day and Darling had a further four children (named after favorite authors) as well as a foster child.
In 1970 the Darlings founded a publishing company, Green Tiger Press, in San Diego. Initially their focus was publishing beautiful illustrations from old children's books as postcards, notecards, and bookmarks. From this they evolved into publishing children's books. Though the entire venture was very much a collaborative affair between husband and wife, Day focused substantially on the design and production of their works - a background and skill set that were to provide a strong grounding in her subsequent career evolution as an illustrator.
In 1983, they needed an illustrator for the favorite children's song The Teddy Bears' Picnic. Day decided to turn her hand to this field of endeavor and in 1983 her first book, The Teddy Bears' Picnic was published by Green Tiger Press. It was well received and she followed it the next year as illustrator of Joan Marshall Grant's The Blue Faience Hippopotamus.
Finally, in 1985 came the first of her signature series of books, Good Dog, Carl. Good Dog, Carl and the rest of the books in the series (Carl Goes Shopping, Carl's Christmas, Carl's Afternoon in the Park, Carl's Masquerade, Carl Goes to Daycare, Carl Makes a Scrapbook, Carl Pops Up, Carl's Birthday, Carl's Sleepy Afternoon, Carl's Summer Vacation, Follow Carl and ) feature the adventures of Carl, a large, gentle, intelligent and deeply responsible Rottweiler and a little girl, Madeleine, who is less responsible.
The stories are illustrated in a realistic style though there is a distinct element of fantasy in the plot. Initially, the illustrations were primarily in gouache, then later in oil and the most recent books have been a combination of watercolor and oil. The opening page or two set the scene. Mother (and/or Father) is about to do something; go shopping, talk to a friend, go to a masquerade ball, etc. Mother instructs Carl to look after baby. There then follow a series of miniature adventures, told solely through pictures. Most typically these involve Carl and Madeleine exploring their environment (the Park, the Ball, the Department Store, etc.), having miniature adventures, and making a mess. At the last minute, Carl gets Madeleine back to where she is supposed to be, cleans up the mess in an efficiently dog-like way, and is there waiting when Mother returns and is rewarded with praise from her along the lines of "Good dog, Carl."
So – Little text and beautiful and realistic illustrations. The enduring charm of these books is more than that though. Each of the stories involves a small element of fantasy. For example, Madeline routinely rides around on Carl bareback. A rather improbable feat but it doesn't seem very far from the realm of feasible. It is not a hard stretch for a child to enter into this wonderfully pleasant and exciting world - It could happen and it would be lovely if it did.
Another element of appeal, I suspect, is simply the naughtiness of the adventures. There are no major transgressions but all involve activities that are clearly beyond the pale. Madeline, for example, in one of the stories, ends up taking a swim in the fish tank. I think children thrill to this gentle illicitness.
From a parent's perspective, these are wonderful little stories. They do lend themselves better than many to a board book format, suitable for the very youngest of children and, because there is such minimal text, these books lend themselves to a snuggly read where the parent tells the story based on the picture.
The original idea for Carl came when Day was visiting Zurich, Switzerland and came across a children's book featuring a poodle and a child playing together when the child should have been napping. Inspired by this, she returned to the US with the idea in mind. The poodle morphed into the family's real-life Rottweiler, Toby and the rest is history. Toby has passed, with subsequent family pet Rottweilers Arambarri and Zabala taking up his role as model.
Day has written and illustrated other books than the Carl stories. In particular, there is a series of three Frank and Ernest books (featuring respectively a bear and an elephant) as well as a couple of books about Darby, a special order pup. These have proved popular as well, but I think Day's lasting accomplishment will be judged to be the paradisiacal world of Madeleine and Carl.
Alexandra Day has said, "I think that one of the reasons my illustrations have appealed to people is that they can sense my sincerity. I know that marvels exist which are just outside our ordinary experience, but that at any moment we may turn a corner and encounter one of them. Children also believe this, and because they and I have this conviction in common, we, as creator and audience, make good partners."
I would agree but add that it is not just children that can enjoy the Carl books. As an adult these are tales that help recapture that sense of wonder and possibility that was still so ripe as a child.
Enjoy all of Day's books but do introduce your very youngest to that stalwart and responsible friend, Carl.
 | Good Dog, Carl written and illustrated by Alexandra Day Highly Recommended |
 | Carl's Afternoon in the Park written and illustrated by Alexandra Day Highly Recommended |
 | Carl's Masquerade written and illustrated by Alexandra Day Highly Recommended |
 | Carl Goes to Daycare written and illustrated by Alexandra Day Recommended |
 | Carl's Birthday written and illustrated by Alexandra Day Recommended |
 | Follow Carl! written and illustrated by Alexandra Day Recommended |
 | The Teddy Bears' Picnic by Jimmy Kennedy and illustrated by Alexandra Day Suggested |
 | Carl Goes Shopping written and illustrated by Alexandra Day Suggested |
 | Carl's Christmas written and illustrated by Alexandra Day Suggested |
 | Carl's Sleepy Afternoon written and illustrated by Alexandra Day Suggested |
 | You're a Good Dog, Carl written and illustrated by Alexandra Day Suggested |
 | Carl's Summer Vacation written and illustrated by Alexandra Day Suggested |
 | Not Forgotten edited by Alexandra Day Potential |
 | Hooray for Dogs edited by Alexandra Day Potential |
The Teddy Bears' Picnic (book and record set) by Jimmy Kennedy and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1983
The Blue Faience Hippopotamus by Joan Marshall Grant and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1984
Good Dog, Carl written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1985
Children of Wonder Volume 1: Helping the Sun by Cooper Edens and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1987
Children of Wonder Volume 2: Helping the Animals by Cooper Edens and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1987
Children of Wonder Volume 3: Helping the Flowers by Cooper Edens and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1987
Children of Wonder Volume 4: Helping the Night by Cooper Edens and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1987
When You Wish upon a Star by Ned Washington and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1987
Frank and Ernest written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1988
Carl Goes Shopping written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1989
Paddy's Pay-Day written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1989
A. B. C. of Fashionable Animals written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1989
Frank and Ernest Play Ball written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1990
Carl's Christmas written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1990
River Parade written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1990
Carl's Afternoon in the Park written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1991
Teddy Bears' Picnic Cookbook by Abigail Darling and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1991
Carl's Masquerade written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1992
Carl Goes to Daycare written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1993
Carl Makes a Scrapbook written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1994
Carl Pops Up written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1994
Frank and Ernest on the Road written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1994
Carl's Birthday written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1995
A Bouquet written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1996
(With Cooper Edens) The Christmas We Moved to the Barn written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1997
Follow Carl! written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1998
Boswell Wide-Awake written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 1999
(With Edens) Darby, the Special-Order Pup written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 2000
(With Edens) Special Deliveries written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 2001
Puppy Trouble written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 2002
Not Forgotten: A Consolation for the Loss of an Animal Friend written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 2004
Carl's Sleepy Afternoon written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 2005
You're a Good Dog, Carl written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 2007
Carl's Summer Vacation written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 2008
Hooray for Dogs written and illustrated by Alexandra Day 2008
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