Storytelling is a well-loved activity for young children, and when local author Lisë Dominique joined the Lake Forest Country Day School’s (LFCDS) Lower School for a reading of her new book, “Harvey the Wonder Dog: Harvey the Hungry Dog” students got a special treat. Ms. Dominique, who is a former television and radio personality, was inspired to write a picture book about her dog Harvey after she received him as a gift for Christmas and was amused by all of his antics. LFCDS fourth grade teacher Julie McCormick invited Ms. Dominique to come and read her book to students after she herself had read the book to her fourth grade class and they really enjoyed it. Mrs. McCormick’s own dog even makes an appearance in the book, which was exciting for her students.

As a school that encourages students to learn from their experiences, LFCDS enjoys bringing in local authors because it inspires students and helps them to make a connection to their own lives. This is especially the case with Ms. Dominique’s book because many of the students have pet dogs at home and can relate to what Harvey the dog does in the story. Mrs. McCormick said it is significant for picture books to have a good vocabulary for students and that this book achieves this goal well. In addition, at LFCDS, teachers feel that it is important for students to be able to write about their own life experiences. Mrs. Dominique’s book makes sure to weave important lessons into the story about healthy eating habits and play as well as the importance of spending time outdoors.

During Ms. Dominique’s reading of the book, students were able to see the story displayed on the television in the Green Bay Atrium. Since Harvey the dog was unable to be present, a slide show of real-life pictures of Harvey were shown, much to the delight of the students. Students were able to make connections to the story from the slideshow because many of the events that happened in the book had real-life inspiration behind them. As a parting gift, Ms. Dominique gave each student a “Harvey the Wonder Dog” bookmark.