• Age: 3 to 7
• Grade: p to 2

The differences between cats and dogs have never been funnier! In this hilarious story from the illustrator of I Don't Want to Be a Frog, a little girl really, really wants a dog . . . but gets a cat instead!

"Look what I got for my birthday! A pet dog!" says a little girl holding a . . . cat? Rocky doesn't listen or obey like all the other dogs. (Because Rocky is a cat.) And Rocky hates her leash and doesn't seem to like other dogs. (Probably because Rocky is a cat.) And rather than play fetch, Rocky prefers to . . . lick between her toes? Ew. Rocky is a bad "dog"! BUT Rocky doesn't bark, and is so cute when she sleeps in sunny spots. Maybe Rocky IS a good dog? (Or, you know, maybe Rocky is a cat.)

Cat lovers and dog lovers alike will howl with laughter at this little girl's willful insistence that her cat is a dog. The hilarious ways in which cats and dogs are different are brilliantly illuminated with each turn of the page and will leave young readers and their grown-ups giggling.
★ Winner: Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award, 2021
★ Winner: North Carolina Children's Book Award, 2022
★ Winner: Wyoming Library Association Buckaroo Award, 2021-22
★ Winner: Ontario Library Association Forest of Reading Blue Spruce Award, 2021
★ Winner: Sakura Medal, Japan, 2022
★ Nominee: Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Award, 2022

Mike Boldt has been my name
for quite a few years.

Some people call me an Author / Illustrator.
I’ve been called worse.

I still enjoy cartoons.

I like ice cream a lot.

I‘ve drawn since I was young.

I read (picture) books.

I like to write & draw them too.

I’m amazed and grateful every day this is my job.

Mike Boldt's profile page

• Winner, North Carolina Children's Book Award
• Nominated, Indiana Young Hoosier Book Award
• Winner, Wyoming Buckaroo Award

★ "Youngsters, especially those with a pet of one kind or another of their own at home, will delight in this case of mistaken identity."—Booklist, starred review

"Boldt's tale of a bad dog will have young audiences hollering (and giggling). . . . A funny little tale of pet love."—Kirkus
"it’s fun to be a spectator at this battle of wills."—Publishers Weekly
"Children will also love the contrast between the facial expressions of the girl and the cat and will enjoy watching the antics of both. . . . This clever story celebrates the differences between cats and dogs and the owners who love them."—School Library Journal

"Listeners are sure to laugh and 'aww' along as Rocky and her human grow to know and love each other."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books